ASSESSMENTS

U.S.: Egyptian President's Visit Will Test Relations

Sep 21, 2012 | 10:45 GMT

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi in Cairo on Sept. 16

KHALED DESOUKI/AFP/GettyImages

Summary

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's visit to the United States on Sept. 23 will serve as an important gauge of the U.S.-Egyptian relationship. Morsi will travel to New York City for the U.N. General Assembly and may travel to Washington, although it is unclear whether that leg of the trip will still occur or whether he will be invited to the White House to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama. Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr said Sept. 20 that Morsi will not be meeting with Obama on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meeting.

Recent Egyptian and U.S. rhetoric suggests their relations are souring. At stake are not only U.S.-Egyptian ties but also Israeli national security and potentially a geopolitical shift that would affect the Middle East. Neither Cairo nor Washington wants to see a break in relations, but Washington's confidence in Cairo's reliability in the region and in its commitment to peace with Israel has been shaken. Morsi's visit to the United States will be a test to see if Egypt can rebuild that trust.

What happens on Morsi's trip to the United States will indicate the tone of future U.S.-Egyptian ties....

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