The United States has dispatched a former ambassador to meet with top officials in Egypt and reiterate the need for democratic reforms amid the political unrest in the country, the US State Department confirmed Monday.
Retired diplomat Frank Wisner, who served as ambassador to Egypt from 1986 to 1991, has arrived in Cairo for talks with Egypt's leaders, State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said. Crowley could not say whether Wisner would meet with President Hosny Mubarak.
"We have asked him to add his perspective to our analysis on current developments," Crowley said.
The US has urged Mubarak to introduce real reforms and put the country on a path to democracy as a week of protests has rocked the region. The mass protests are calling on Mubarak, a US and Western ally, to resign, dpa reported.
"We've sent a very clear message to Egypt, publicly and privately. So this is not about a lack of communication," Crowley said. "But obviously ambassador Wisner will have the opportunity to reinforce what we've already said."
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