US Congress, business community praise Egypt's reforms

Delegation held 89 meetings, including 33 with US lawmakers, 16 with research centres to improve image of Egypt, says Tawfiq

Washington –The door-knock mission, organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt (AmCham) to Washington DC, managed to achieve great success this year, as the American business community and decision-makers praised recent the recent economic reforms made by Egypt.
Despite a negative attitude from the members of Congress and research centres towards Egypt, the meetings managed to present the accomplishments made by the Egyptian government over the past year, which made many members of Congress and research centres acknowledge the importance of these steps and their impact on the Egyptian economy.
The door-knock mission held intensive meetings during which many issues were discussed, including economic reforms, reforming religious discourse, and supporting the empowerment of women.
The total number of meetings held by the mission reached 89, including 33 with members of Congress, five with international institutions, 16 with research centres, in addition to other meetings with the US Departments of State, Defence, Treasury, and Energy, as well as national security officials.
The members of the mission met with a number of influential American figures, including American writer Thomas Friedman, who expressed his interest in Egypt and its geographic location, in addition to its ability to benefit from the technological development in the world.
The meeting with Freidman included discussing the attention given by American politicians to "reform changes," which are similar to the ones applied by Saudi Arabia and its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. These efforts are expected to spur real changes in the Arab region.
One of the topics also discussed by Freidman included the presidential election. He wondered about the possibility of changing the constitution in Egypt in order to extend the possible number of presidential terms. However, the members of the mission responded by saying the President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi had previously announced that he refuses extending presidential terms, adding that the Egyptian business community trusts the president, according to Tarek Tawfiq, chairperson of the AmCham and the head of the mission, adding that cooperation between Egypt and the US is at its best at all levels.
In a statement to the press delegation accompanying the mission, Tawfiq said that US President Donald Trump's administration appreciates the legislative reforms made in Egypt and praises the efforts made in the energy and gas sector. The head of the mission said that business and politics circles in the US support the current reform policies, adding that there is also great appreciation for women's participation, and the presence of 89 women in the Egyptian Parliament.
He stressed that over the next few months, relations will see great development, especially after the continuation of the strategic dialogue between both countries at the level of the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs.
For his part, Omar Mehanna, head of the US-Egypt Business Council, stressed that the mission achieved unprecedented success, because for the first time, the file of free trade was brought up and Americans showed interest in the idea and other ideas presented in this regard. "There is a real chance this time," he said.
Meanwhile, according to Tawfiq, many industries are seeking to resettle in Africa, and multinational companies are making significant expansions in Egypt.