Al-Sisi Not To Attend Us-Africa Summit

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday said he would not attend the next US-Africa Leaders Summit, which is scheduled to be held in the American capital Washington in August, a presidential spokesman said.



"The President has assigned Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab to attend the summit on his behalf," Ihab Badawi added.



He said the Egyptian President had received an invitation to attend the summit earlier.



Egypt was not invited to the summit last year on the background of the suspension of the country's African Union membership.



Egypt's African Union activities were suspended on July 5, 2013, two days after the military ousted elected president Mohamed Morsi. The country was readmitted into the African fold a few weeks ago.



Sources, meanwhile, said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had postponed for the second time a visit to the Egyptian capital Cairo.



Kerry should have attended to Cairo on Tuesday to discuss the current crisis in the Gaza Strip, but he postponed the visit for the first time then, even without mentioning any reasons.



U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to attend the US-Africa Leaders Summit in August together with some 47 African heads of states.



By Ahmed al-Sersawi



englishnews@aa.com.tr



www.aa.com.tr/en - Kahire