Egyptian team urges US to reconsider ME policies
Egypt-USA, Politics, 4/29/2002

Egypt sent a high-level economic delegation to the United States to explain the impact of the Middle East deterioration on the economic situation of the country, especially the private sector.

The delegation, which is planned to meet US Vice President Dick Cheney today, will also ask the US administration to reconsider its Middle East policies which seem to endanger US interests in the region.

This is also part of Egypt's continuing efforts to persuade the United States that its popularity in the region has never been lower thanks to its unconditional support for Israel in its atrocious onslaught on the Palestinians.

US enterprises in Egypt and the Arab region generally have sustained heavy losses since the start of the Al-Aqsa Intifadah (uprising) because of rising-anti-American sentiments in the region.

Chairman of the Egyptian Chamber of Commerce, Mohammed Mansour, said the team would meet with officials, Congressmen and intellectuals in the United States to brief them on the economic developments in Egypt.

Mansour said it was important for the US to understand the implications of US policies on the American entrepreneurial interests in the area.

The team, which includes US business people operating in Egypt, will meet with the Egyptian ambassador in Washington for a briefing on the present status of relations and the prevalent mood in the US after the September 11 attacks.

The team will also broach the idea of hammering out an agreement on free trade between Egypt and the US ahead of the initiation of formal talks between the two sides on this issue.

Egypt decided the timing of this visit was crucial because of the continuing sensitivities after the September 11 attacks which made the US public opinion exceptionally susceptible to anti-Egyptian and anti-Arab propaganda.

"It's also our purpose to expose the falsehood of such allegations and project Egypt's true image to the US political, economic and social circles," he said.

Previous Stories:
  Eypt's strong position in support of Palestinians highlighted   (4/22/2002)
  Mubarak phones Powell   (4/18/2002)
  Egypt rejects Bush call   (4/18/2002)

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