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Egypt FM, Kushner meeting cancelled

Egypt cancels meetings with Donald Trump adviser Jared Kushner in Cairo after US decision to cut aid to Egypt.

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Source: AAP


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Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has cancelled meeting US President Donald Trump's adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, a copy of his schedule sent out to journalists showed.

A Foreign Ministry official told Reuters Wednesday's meeting had been cancelled but did not provide a reason. A US embassy official in Cairo said Kushner's meeting with Shoukry had never been set in stone because "the schedule was never fixed."

Shoukry had been scheduled to meet with a US delegation led by Kushner to discuss the Middle East peace process.

Kushner is still expected meet with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi in Cairo later on Wednesday.

Two US sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday that US authorities would deny Egypt $US95.7 million ($A121.2 million) in aid and delay a further $US195 million payment over its failure to make progress on respecting human rights and democratic norms.

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"Egypt sees this measure as reflecting poor judgment of the strategic relationship that ties the two countries over long decades and as adopting a view that lacks an accurate understanding of the importance of supporting Egypt's stability," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The decision could have "negative implications" on achieving common goals and interests between the two countries, it added.

Last year, al-Sissi welcomed Trump's election, hoping the new president would "breathe a new spirit into Egyptian-US relations" after ties with the administration of former president Barack Obama became strained.

The 2013 military-led ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in Egypt prompted Washington briefly to halt some military aid to Cairo, although that was later restored.


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