The US and Egypt tried today to put a brave face on their badly frayed ties and committed to restoring a partnership undermined by the military ouster of Egypt's first democratically elected president.
US Secretary of State John Kerry became the highest- ranking Obama administration official to visit the country since the military toppled Mohammed Morsi in July and cracked down on his Muslim Brotherhood supporters.
Those moves led the US to suspend hundreds of millions of dollars in aid. Morsi's trial on charges of inciting murder was expected to begin tomorrow, at a location east of the capital. There were fears of renewed clashes between his backers and government security forces.
Kerry, who was starting a 10-day trip to the Middle East, Europe and North Africa, and Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy pledged to ease tensions between Washington and Cairo. Yet the strains were clearly evident.
The State Department expected a frosty reception for Kerry, especially with tensions running high on the eve of Morsi's trial.
The department refused to confirm Kerry's brief visit until he landed in Cairo, even though Egypt's official news agency reported the impending trip Friday.
The secrecy was unprecedented for a secretary of state's travel to Egypt, for decades one of the closest US allies in the Arab world, and highlighted the deep rifts that have emerged.
Eager to avoid the potential for demonstrations related to his visit or Morsi's impending trial, Kerry spent most of his time at a hotel near the airport.
He ended his visit with meetings at the presidential palace and defense ministry.
Kerry said that the US-Egyptian relationship should not be defined by American assistance. He insisted that the suspension of military aid was "not a punishment" and said it was a minor topic in his talks with Fahmy.
America' chief diplomat held out the prospect of aid resumption as Egypt makes progress in restoring civilian democratic rule and ensuring the protection of basic human rights, including respect for freedom of expression, religion and the press.
