Largest U.S. business delegation ever visits Egypt
CAIRO – Representatives from more than 60 U.S. companies wrapped up a two-day visit to Egypt Tuesday described as the largest such delegation in history that aimed to explore potential businesses to boost the country’s ailing economy. But critics say the visit strikes the wrong tone amid a government crackdown on freedoms.
Delegates to the conference, organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, stayed clear of politics. During a two-hour meeting with President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, they listened to his vision for improving the economy and the pressures he faces from a disgruntled and demanding population.
The delegation includes a personal envoy from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Ambassador David Thorne. Ahead of the visit, Kerry said a critical component of Egypt’s success is economic growth driven by policy reform, a message the delegation will deliver to Egyptian authorities.
The visit coincided with an ultimatum by authorities given to civil groups to register under a restrictive law that was drafted under the regime of Hosni Mubarak, or face shutdown and prosecution.
The deadline passed with authorities taking no immediate action. The groups say the deadline still hangs over their head, and is a threat to their work which deals mostly with government violations and crackdown.
“Egypt is suffering the most ruthless crackdown in decades but John Kerry is busy promoting U.S. business there,” Kenneth Roth, executive director of the New-York based Human Rights Watch, wrote on Twitter ahead of the visit. His organization closed its offices in Cairo earlier this year, citing concerns over the crackdown, after failing to register.
Gregori Lebedev, a senior member of the Board of the Directors of the Chamber of Commerce and co-leader of the delegation, and others in the conference rebuffed the criticism. “We know that prosperous economies are good for citizens wherever you are in the world,” Lebedev told the Associated Press. “So anything that the American business community can do to stimulate a challenged economy will do nothing but benefit Egyptian citizens at large.”
Khush Choksy, the vice president of the U.S. chamber of commerce for Middle East affairs, said the timing of the visit couldn’t have been better to seize on positive signals the government has sent to the business community.
“Business likes to get in the act early,” he said, adding that visit hopes to boost American investment in Egypt, which now stands at over $10 billion, at a time when its government took drastic and much awaited economic reforms such as cutting fuel subsidies.