President Mohamed Morsy is meeting Saturday with newly-appointed US Secretary of State John Kerry during his visit to Egypt.
Kerry will also meet Arab League Chief Nabil al-Araby, as well as a group of political parties and a delegation of businessmen in Cairo.
Later, Kerry will meet with his counterpart Mohamed Kamel Amr at the Foreign Ministry, where both will hold a joint press conference.
Although senior members of the National Salvation Front, including Conference Party chief Amr Moussa, welcomed the visit, NSF leader and Popular Current head Hamdeen Sabbahi refused to meet with Kerry. Sabbahi said in a statement Friday that he discussed the meeting with fellow NSF leader Mohamed ElBaradei, after which he decided against the meeting.
Kerry’s visit is part of a nine-country trip through Europe and the Middle East, during which he will discuss a range of issues with allies, including the Syria conflict.
US Department of State spokesperson Victoria Nuland said that Kerry will also attempt to reach consensus with allies on economic reforms.
Edited translation from MENA
