Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit departed for Washington Tuesday to discuss issues of mutual US-Egyptian importance.
The visit constitutes the first of its kind by a senior Egyptian official following US congressional elections that registered significant Republican gains.
According to MENA, Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman will not accompany Abul Gheit despite previous plans to do so.
Abul Gheit will meet with Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. Topping the list of issues intended to be discussed are Middle East peace negotiations and Sudanese developments in light of the January south Sudanese referendum.
Changing power dynamics in Washington have instilled fears that Republican pressure on President Obama will alter American foreign policy towards Egypt. Some top US politicians consider the current policy lenient and negligent of human rights violations.
