CAIRO: The United States has announced it will provide $150 million in aid to Egypt to support its transition towards democracy. The Obama administration is also sending two senior officials, the undersecretary of state for political affairs and a senior White House adviser on international economics, to Egypt next week. The announcement was made by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after briefing U.S. lawmakers about the current situation in Egypt, and comes a week after Hosni Mubarak resigned from his position as President of Egypt after 30 years of rule. “It's very clear that there is a great deal of work ahead to ensure an orderly democratic transition. It's also clear that Egypt will be grappling with immediate and long-term economic challenges,” Clinton told reporters. Clinton also reiterated that the U.S. is ready to provide assistance to Egypt as it moves toward democracy. “These events demonstrate why the United States must remain fully engaged around the world. In Egypt, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, and so many places, the men and women of the State Department and USAID are working to advance our interests, our values, and most importantly, our national security,” she said. “This work is vital and it needs proper funding. I told our congressional colleagues that the Fiscal Year 2011 spending bill that is on the House floor right now would have serious negative consequences for America's national security.” BM
