Excerpts: Morsi to Saudi 11 July by invitation 7 July 2012

+++SOURCE: Naharnet (Lebanon) 7 July '12: Egypt's Morsi to Saudi on First
Trip as President", Agemce France Presse

SUBJECT: Morsi to Saudi 11 July by invitation
QUOTE:"King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia 'has invited President Morsi to visit
Saudi Arabia to strengthen relations between both countries in all areas' "

(IMRA: Recently a Saudi Bank provided Egypt with a $1.5 billion loan for
food and energy.)

FULL TEXT:President Mohammed Morsi will head to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday[11
July] on his first foreign visit as Egypt's head of state, the official MENA
news agency said on Saturday.
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia "has invited President Morsi to visit Saudi
Arabia to strengthen relations between both countries in all areas," said
Saudi ambassador Ahmed Qattan, quoted by MENA, adding that Morsi will fly to
Riyadh on Wednesday[11 July].

It will be his first foreign trip since he was sworn in as president last
week.

Morsi, a long-time member of the Muslim Brotherhood, is the country's first
elected civilian president.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia enjoyed close relations under Morsi's predecessor
Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted by a popular uprising last year.

But a diplomatic crisis between the two regional powers saw Riyadh recall
its ambassador in Cairo and close its embassy for several days, after
protests demanding the release of a lawyer and rights activist detained in
the kingdom.
.

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Sue Lerner - Associate, IMRA