The US Congress has been viewing Egypt’s constitutional referendum with pragmatic eyes.
Although frowning on the military ousting of democratically elected President Mursi, it is preparing to give Cairo more than one billion dollars, most of which will go to the army.
Having previously stopped its annual aid to Egypt, Washington now appears to have reviewed the situation.
Euronews correspondent Stefan Grove spoke to Steven Cook from the Council on Foreign Relations:
“Democracy, democratic change is a long-term process. And it is clear that Egypt’s trajectory right now is not one that inspires a lot of confidence or hope that it would become a democracy. Even so, Washington continues to have important strategic interests in Egypt, and that’s why the administration has decided to go forward and is seeking ways to continue to work with Egypt.”
Washington has been consistent in its desire to respect the wishes of the Egyptian people. The problems that Egypt has run into are, of course, the problems that Egyptians themselves have created,” added Cook.
According to euronews correspondent Stefan Grobe, “There is a notion in Washington that the Obama administration has given up on Egypt’s democratic transition. A resumption of financial aid is seen as an effort to preserve what is left of US influence in the Arab world’s most populous state.”
