President Mohamed Morsy on Wednesday canceled his planned visit to the Pakistani capital Islamabad to follow developments in Cairo, where clashes between protesters and security forces continue to erupt.
State TV reported the news on the ticker, but did not provide more details. It said that Morsy delegated vice president Mahmoud Mekky to take part in the summit of eight developing Islamic countries that lasts for two days, beginning Thursday.
According to a presidential office statement, Morsy will stay in Cairo to follow the application of the ceasefire brokered by Egypt between Hamas and Israel.
Morsy was scheduled to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit with leaders of member states participating in the event, which include Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Nigeria.
State-run Al-Ahram newspaper quoted Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Monday as saying that Morsy’s visit was to be the first of its kind in nearly three decades.
The trade volume between Egypt and Pakistan was US$300 million last year, $50 million higher than the year before.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
