US deputy secretary of state visits post-election Egypt with letter from Obama
Egyptian media reports indicate Amr Moussa offered post of vice president
US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns concluded a two-day visit to Cairo on Sunday. It was the first visit by a high-ranking US official to Egypt since last month’s presidential elections brought Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi to power.
According to the US embassy in Cairo, Burns met “with a broad spectrum of Egyptian leaders, politicians, and civil society representatives.”
Burns was also expected to hand Morsi a letter from US President Barack Obama.
Burns’ visit comes ahead of a July 14 visit by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who among other diplomatic tasks will be on hand to inaugurate a new US consulate in Alexandria.
Clinton is also scheduled to visit Israel as part of her July trip to the region.
Also on Sunday, Israel Radio reported that according to a report in an Egyptian paper, Morsi has offered veteran politician and diplomat Amr Moussa the post of vice president in charge of international relations.
According to the report, Moussa, who served as secretary general of the Arab League from 2001 to 2011 and as Egyptian minister of foreign affairs from 1991 to 2001, is considering the offer. Moussa was also a candidate for the Egyptian presidency, but did not make it past the first round of voting.