US defence secretary to visit Egypt

US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta is expected to arrive in Cairo next Tuesday on a several hours visit to Egypt. During the visit Panetta will meet Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy and Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) in Egypt Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi. The visit of the U.S. Secretary of Defense to Egypt will come as part of a tour of the region which will also take him to Tunisia, Israel and Jordan. Egypt's official Middle East News Agency (MENA) quoted diplomatic sources as saying that Secretary Panetta will discuss with Egyptian officials democratic change in Egypt, and how the U.S. would provide support for the reforms being carried out in the country. He will also discuss the Syrian and Iranian issues. Meanwhile, MENA noted that a delegation of American businessmen will visit Egypt in September to meet with their Egyptian counterparts to contribute to promoting the Egyptian economy, tourism and US private investments in Egypt.