US Secretary of State Kerry tells Egyptians to stop squabbling
Top US diplomat says parties must pull together if country is to be helped out of economic crisis
US Secretary of State John Kerry has urged bickering Egyptian political leaders to forge a consensus to pave the way for aid that could help lift their country out of its deep economic crisis.
During their two-hour plus meeting, Kerry and President Mohammed Mursi also talked about Middle East peace, Syria and Iran, as well as the economic, political and human rights situation in Egypt, according to a US State Department official.
"There must be a willingness on all sides to make meaningful compromises on the issues that matter most to the Egyptian people," Kerry said after initial talks with Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr in Cairo.
"We do believe that in this moment of economic challenge it is important for the Egyptian people to come together around the economic choices and to find some common ground in making those choices."
Kerry's visit comes with Egypt deeply divided between Mursi's mainly Islamist allies and a wide-ranging opposition that accuses Mursi of failing to address the country's economic needs and political concerns.
Kerry said he would discuss with Mursi ways in which the US could help Egypt recover from its economic crisis in further talks yesterday. "And I emphasise again, as strongly as I can, we're not here to interfere. I'm here to listen," Kerry said.
