Egypt FM, Jared Kushner meeting canceled

By Akanni Hamdalat Opeyemi

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry is no longer meeting U.S. President Donald Trump’s advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner on Wednesday, a copy of his schedule sent out to journalists showed. A Foreign Ministry official told Reuters the meeting had been canceled but did not provide a reason. Shoukry had been scheduled to meet with a U.S delegation led by Kushner to discuss the Middle East peace process. Two U.S sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday that U.S. authorities would deny Egypt 95.7 million dollars in aid and delay a further 195 million dollars payment over its failure to make progress on respecting human rights and democratic norms. Egypt in a swift reaction expressed its regret over the U.S. decision. Egypt Foreign Ministry in a statement said the move would have a negative impact on common interests. “Egypt sees this measure as reflecting poor judgment of the strategic relationship that ties the two countries over long decades and as adopting a view that lacks an accurate understanding of the importance of supporting Egypt’s stability,” the ministry said in a statement.