Egypt FM urges US to cut ties with Muslim Brotherhood

Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy has called on the USto cut ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, after it was declared a "terroristorganization" by the Egyptian government.In a televised interview aired on Sky News Arabia on Tuesday, Fahmy said that theUS should sever ties with the "terrorist Muslim Brotherhood Group". He argued, "Egypt does not deal with any organizations designated as terrorist byany other country," adding that Cairo has officially asked the US to take a similarstance.As for the US' criticism towards the recent mass death penalties against MuslimBrotherhood members, the Egyptian top diplomat said that he had told the USCongress and Administration that Egypt has an independent judicial system.He also underlined that Egypt is building a new democratic system that does notinterfere in judicial authority work.Commenting on the recent ease in relations between Cairo and Washington and theUS decision to unfreeze military aid to Egypt, Fahmy expected that relations wouldbe better off in the coming stage.Bilateral relations between the two countries have soured since the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013. The US has been a vocal critic of theEgyptian interim authorities since then. In October of last year, Washington withheld from the Egyptian governmentdeliveries of tanks, fighter aircraft, helicopters and missiles, as well as USD 260million in cash aid.But last month, the US unfroze the delivery of 10 Apache helicopters to Egypt, tohelp Egypt deal with the security situation in the restive Sinai Peninsula.When asked about the dispute with Ethiopia over the latter's building of the hugedam on the Nile, Fahmy said there were no serious talks between the two sides yet,noting that Egypt has presented a number of proposals to Ethiopia regarding theissue and is still awaiting Addis Ababa's response.He also ruled out the possibility of Egypt's building of projects on the Congo riverto make up for the water that it could lose due to the Ethiopian dam.It is a difficult option both legally and technically, he said, adding that theseprojects would not solve the dispute with Ethiopia over the Renaissance Dam issue.The minister also mentioned the upcoming presidential elections, noting that the privileges of the next elected president will be much less than the ones enjoyed bythe former president due to constitutional changes.