Top U.S. diplomat travels to Egypt amid unrest

PanARMENIAN.Net - A top U.S. diplomat flew to Egypt on Sunday, July 14 to urge its interim government, military and politicians to move toward an elected civilian government after the army coup that ousted President Mohamed Morsi, Reuters said.

Deputy Secretary of State William Burns intends to hold talks with those groups as well as civil society and the business community, the State Department said without clarifying whether he would meet Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood supporters.

"The goal of his trip is to engage with and hear directly from interim Egyptian officials and civil society as part of our ongoing efforts to see Egypt transition to an inclusive, pluralistic, democratically elected civilian government," said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki. The Egyptian military ousted Morsi on July 3 arguing that they had a popular mandate following demonstrations by millions of Egyptians who have protested against political upheaval and economic stagnation under Brotherhood rule.

While seeking to appear neutral, the United States has carefully avoided criticizing the military's actions, has not called for Morsi's reinstatement and has criticized his rule as undemocratic.

Psaki said Burns would stress U.S. "support for an inclusive democratic process where all political streams and sectors of society are represented, the need to transition to a democratically elected government as soon as possible, and the immediate need for all political leaders to work to prevent violence and incitement."