CAIRO: British Foreign Secretary William Hague has arrived in Egypt for his first visit since the election of President Mohamed Morsi. During his visit the foreign secretary will meet senior Egyptian politicians including President Morsi and Prime Minister Hisham Qandil. He will also meet representatives of the British business community and will address an event for young entrepreneurs, his office said in a statement. “The last 18 months in Egypt have been some of the most dramatic in the country's long history. It is an exciting and challenging time for Egyptians and I am delighted to be here,” Hague said upon arrival in the Egyptian capital. “The UK and Egypt have a longstanding and strong relationship and I look forward to building strong ties with the new President and his Ministers. We will discuss how the UK can support the political and economic transition in Egypt and further expand our commercial links,” he added. Topping the agenda will likely be Egypt's foreign policy and the ongoing violence in Syria. “We will also be discussing important foreign policy issues, in particular how the international community can work together to bring an end to the bloodshed in Syria,” Hague added. It also comes on the heels of a report that the UK government has not done all they could to ensure stolen assets from Egypt's former regime would be returned to Cairo.
