Congressional Staffers Visits   Delegation Brief on Visit Staffers Visits

Staffers Delegation June 27 –July 4, 2004

AmCham Egypt, in collaboration with the Egyptian American Cooperation Foundation, hosted the fourth group of senior Congressional staffers from June 27 to July 5, 2004.

AmCham Egypt began hosting bipartisan congressional staff delegations in January of 2002 as follow-ups to its 20-year old policy of undertaking Door-knock Missions to Washington D.C. One of the crucial observations noted by chamber members has been the importance of maintaining communications with decision-makers in the U.S. especially in Congress and the White House.

Congressmen are heavily dependent on their staff for assessments concerning international decisions due to the time constraints exerted on them as they address domestic issues pertaining to their constituencies.

Aware that congressional staffers are extremely influential in Egyptian-American relations, AmCham Egypt again extended invitations to a delegation of senior staffers for a weeklong visit to Egypt to meet firsthand with high-ranking government officials, including Dr. Ossama El Baz, political advisor to President Mubarak and several members of the Egyptian Parliament.

The delegation members received a detailed overview from Dr. El Baz on the regional political situation and Egypt’s past and current stances on the issues. The Palestinian- Israeli conflict was one of the most prevalent issues throughout the majority of meetings.

Dr. El Baz stressed that prior to rightly understanding the situation and proceeding with finding a solution, one must take into consideration the minutest details, including issues of precise land division and account for all refugees. He asserted that there is still a great deal to be done towards bringing peace to the region, but also advised the staffers not “to waste the great deal of good will from the Arabs”, adding that America’s strength in the region stems from the fact that it “was never a colonizing state” in the Middle East.

The congressional staffers met with Parliament members for an inter-active session headed by Dr. Mustafa El Fekki, chairman of the People’s Assembly’s Foreign Relations Committee. During the session, attended by Prof Hoda Rezkanna, member of Parliament, Dr. El Fekki expressed Egypt’s frustration over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the biased support for Israel in the U.S. Congress. He also noted that open lines of communication must be maintained to increase understanding. The notable progress in gender equality issues and human rights standards were also topics touched upon by Parliament members.

Representatives from the Ministry of Defense also met with the delegation of congressional staffers. General Mohamed Saeed El Assar, assistant minister of defense and advisor to Defence Minister Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, and General Fouad Arafa, defense intelligence and General Ahmed El Motaz Bellah, American relations, each spoke of the strength of Egyptian-American relations and the potential for enhancement in many areas.

During a luncheon hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, assistant minister for North & Latin America, members of the delegation got a chance to interact individually with representatives of the ministry.

The delegates also met with Egyptian and American businessmen; including Mr. Dan McCarthy, chairman and managing director of General Motors Egypt, who discussed the makeup of his company in terms of ownership and staff.

During a short, one-day visit to Upper Egypt, the congressional staffers toured Luxor’s ancient Pharaonic monuments, including Luxor and Karnak Temples, as well as the Valley of the Kings. Officials spoke to the group on the progress of USAID projects thus far and the resources needed to combat remaining problems, one of which is the considerable damage to the monuments caused by the rising water table.

Back in Cairo, the delegation visited to the pyramids of Giza and Sakkara, the Egyptian Museum, the Citadel and the Mohamed Ali Mosque as well as Khan el Khalili and Coptic Cairo.

At the conclusion of their visit, the delegation of congressional staffers noted that their trip to Egypt had been among the best. They were grateful for the hospitality of the Egyptian people on the whole, as well as assured by the variety of meetings of the strong will to continue to develop and affirm ties between the two nations. On the whole, the staffers rated their trip as the highest in caliber in terms of educational and recreational value. Most importantly, the mission had succeeded in presenting Egypt, government and people, as it really is, through cultural, social and political discussions and excursions.

This trip was made possible in kind by the contributions of:

• Conrad Cairo Hotel General Manager Darren Law
• Accor Group of Hotels Managing Director Jean-Michel Casse
• Marriott Hotel Cairo General Manager Ulrich Huth

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