Kushner meets Arab leaders -  Iran, Saudis to exchange diplomatic visits

CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi (right) poses for a photograph with Senior White House Advisor Jared Kushner at the presidential palace yesterday. — AFP

CAIRO: Egypt's president and foreign minister met White House adviser Jared Kushner yesterday, just hours after the Trump administration cut or delayed hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Cairo over human rights concerns. Kushner, who is also President Donald Trump's son-in-law, was in Cairo as part of a Middle East tour aimed at exploring ways to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which last collapsed in 2014.

A modified version of Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry's schedule had earlier showed the meeting with Kushner cancelled, which was widely seen as a snub in protest at the aid cuts. But Shoukry later sat in on Kushner's meeting with President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi and met with the American delegation separately at the Foreign Ministry. Kushner's delegation includes Jason Greenblatt, the US envoy for international negotiations, and Dina Powell, the deputy national security adviser.

The Trump administration on Tuesday cut nearly $100 million in military and economic aid to Egypt and delayed almost $200 million more in military financing, citing Egypt's poor human rights record and its crackdown on civic and other non-governmental groups. The move came as a surprise to many, given the close ties forged since Trump took office. The US president has repeatedly hailed Sisi as a key ally in the fight against terrorism.

In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Cairo regretted the US decision, calling it a "misjudgment of the nature of the strategic relations that have bound the two countries for decades". It said the move "reflects the lack of careful understanding of the importance of supporting the stability and success of Egypt as well as the size and nature of the security and economic challenges faced by the Egyptian people." The decision, it warned, may have "negative consequences for the realization of common US-Egyptian interests." It did not elaborate.

Egypt is among the top recipients of US military and economic assistance, receiving about $1.5 billion annually. The $1.3 billion in military aid and $250 million in economic aid is linked to Egypt's 1979 peace treaty with Israel, and underpins a US-Egyptian security relationship that is now mostly aimed at fighting terrorism.

In recent years, Egypt has clamped down on civil society, particularly human rights groups and other organizations that receive foreign funding. Such groups played a central role in the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak, and pro-government media often present them as part of a conspiracy to undermine the state.

The authorities have arrested thousands of people since Sisi led the 2013 military overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi, an Islamist who won the country's first freely contested election. Most of those in detention are Islamist supporters of Morsi, but a number of prominent liberal and secular activists have also been jailed. Trump made no public mention of human rights when he warmly welcomed Sisi to the White House in April, an omission that many took as a sign that the issue was not a priority for the administration.

But two months later, two senators from Trump's Republican Party slammed as "draconian" a new Egyptian law that effectively bans the work of non-governmental organizations and urged its repeal. Egypt has defended the law, which provoked an international backlash, saying it was drafted and approved according to its constitution.

Kushner has meanwhile been trying to revive Middle East peace talks, which last collapsed in 2014. He has made little evident progress, and has yet to lay out a clear vision for what Trump has called the "ultimate deal". He and his delegation traveled to Jordan on Tuesday, where they met with King Abdullah II.

They also visited Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to local media reports. The US delegation met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, then flew to Doha to meet the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. Neither news agencies of the two countries mentioned the months-old row between Riyadh and Doha, which has defied Kuwaiti and US mediation efforts.

Apart from efforts to end Israeli-Palestinian hostilities, the two sides also discussed encouraging "security, stability and Middle-Eastern-prosperity", Saudi state news agency SPA said. Bin Salman and the official talked about ways to achieve "a real and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians" and stability in the wider Middle East and beyond, SPA said. In Doha, which hosts the political leadership of Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, Sheikh Tamim and the envoys discussed "the improvement of the humanitarian situation and living conditions in Gaza Strip," Qatar state news agency QNA reported.

Today, the delegation is expected to hold separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, but no major breakthroughs are expected. Trump has yet to fully endorse a two-state solution, which has been at the heart of US policy for nearly two decades. He has said it's up to Israel and the Palestinians to decide the shape of a final settlement.

Separately, Iran and Saudi Arabia will exchange diplomatic visits soon, Tehran said yesterday, indicating a possible thaw in relations between the regional rivals since they severed diplomatic ties last year. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) that the visits could take place after the hajj pilgrimage ends in the first week of September. "The visas have been issued for both sides to make this trip," Zarif said, according to ISNA. "We are waiting for the final steps to be completed so diplomats from the two countries can inspect their embassies and consulates."

Relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia are at their worst in years, with each accusing the other of subverting regional security and supporting opposite sides in conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran in Jan. 2016 after a prominent Saudi Shiite cleric was executed, prompting Riyadh to close the embassy. Saudi Arabia and several other Arab governments have severed ties with Qatar, citing its support of Iran as one of the main reasons.

Iran has blamed Saudi Arabia for being behind deadly twin attacks on June 7 in Tehran claimed by Islamic State. At least 18 people were killed and more than 40 wounded in the attacks, in which Riyadh has denied any involvement. Thousands of Iranian pilgrims are currently undertaking the haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. - Agencies