CAIRO, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice disagreed over dealings with Hamas, which Washington wants to isolate.
Mubarak's spokesman Suleiman Awwad acknowledged differences between Egypt and the United States on several issues, especially Hamas, which Washington is seeking to isolate politically and financially, while Cairo insists on giving the militant Palestinian group time to outline its policies after rising to power.
"International relations cannot be at all based on identical viewpoints and positions in all conditions and on all issues," Awwad said Wednesday, following the meeting between Mubarak and Rice.
"Egypt's decisions are made in Egypt and not in any other capital or place," he added, in an implicit allusion to Egyptian-U.S. differences on dealing with Hamas, which will form the next Palestinian government.
Awwad, however, stressed that "Egyptian-U.S. relations are strategic between two friendly countries to serve the interests of both Egyptians and Americans," and are "very strong and solid which allows that our viewpoints do not conform in all times and over all subjects."
Egypt opposes U.S. threats to cut off badly-needed financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority unless Hamas recognizes Israel, lays down arms and respects previous agreements signed between the PA and Israel.
Rice concluded her visit to Egypt by meeting human rights and democracy activists opposed to Mubarak's regime.
Activist Saadeddine Ibrahim said Rice promised that the U.S. administration will maintain its backing of reformists and will continue pressuring the Egyptian government to introduce promised political and economic reforms.
Ibrahim told United Press International that Rice "assured the activists that introducing reforms to the Middle East is a strategic choice of the current U.S. administration and will be sponsored by any future administration in Washington, be it Democrat or Republican."
Rice will also be visiting Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as part of her Middle East tour.
