Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs for North and South America Mohamed Fareed Moneib met with a delegation from the United States Congress on Wednesday. The two sides discussed the status of Egypt's transitional roadmap and the United States Congress' decision-making when it came to Egypt. The meeting also dealt with political, economic, and security developments, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They also "emphasised the vitality of the strategic relations between the two countries and the importance of strengthening relations in the coming period against the backdrop of the US Secretary of State John Kerry to Egypt," added the statement, saying that a review of the democratic process in Egypt was also addressed. The delegation is in Cairo as part of a wider regional tour and will discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues with Egyptian government officials, according to press attaché and spokesman for the US Embassy in Cairo Mofid Deak. Topics would include the relationship between the two countries, counter-terrorism cooperation, the ongoing democratic transition and regional security. The delegation includes majority clerk of the House State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee Anne Marie Chotvacs, Senior Advisor for Foreign Affairs to the House Majority Leader Robert Karem and House Liaison Colonel Daniel Greenwood. The group arrived to Cairo on Tuesday and is expected to return to the House of Representatives to present its findings in the aftermath of the trip. Earlier this week Kerry paid a brief visit to Egypt and met with interim President Adly Mansour, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nabil Fahmy, and Minister of Defence Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi. Last week the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee conducted a hearing and urged the White House to lift its suspension of military aid to Egypt.
