[Iran Press TV] Egypt has censured Washington’s decision to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the country over its human rights...which often include carefully measured allowances of
freedomat the convenience of the state...
record amid a visit to Cairo by an American delegation, including Senior White House Adviser Jared Kushner, as part of a tour of the Middle East.
The delegation, which is in Cairo for meetings on the so-called grinding of the peace processor regarding the Israeli-Paleostinian conflict, met Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Wednesday, his front man Alaa Youssef said.
The meeting had been initially removed from Shoukry’s schedule with no explanation, which was interpreted as a response to the aid cut.
| How, then, to interpret the fact that they subsequently met anyway? |
Washington on Tuesday cut $96 million in aid and delayed $195 million in military funding. The US State Department said the decision followed a lack of progress on human rights and the passing of a new law regulating the work of non-governmental organizations, which was seen as restricting their activities. Sisi ratified the law in May.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that it "regrets the decision."
"Egypt considers this step as a misjudgement of the nature of the strategic relations that binds the two countries over decades," the statement added.
The ministry also warned that the move "may have negative repercussions."