U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry plans to visit Egypt on Sunday, the day before ousted President Mohamed Morsi goes on trial, according to a state news agency.
Kerry’s visit to Egypt is only expected to last several hours and largely revolve around the rampant tension between the military and the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as the announcement in October that part of the U.S. aid package to Egypt is on hold because of the political turmoil in the country.
Egypt was not on the original itinerary for his upcoming Middle East tour. That same day, Kerry is due to meet with Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah about “a wide range of bilateral and regional issues,” the State Department said. Between Nov. 3 and Nov. 11, he will make stops in Saudi Arabia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria and Morocco, among other countries.
[Reuters]