US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday that her country was strongly supporting Egypt's democratic transition and economic development, dpa reported.
"I have come to Cairo to reaffirm the strong support of the United States for the Egyptian people and their democratic transition," Clinton said after talks with President Mohammed Morsi.
The meeting was the first between Clinton and Morsi, who took office late last month as Egypt's first elected civilian and Islamist president.
"We want to be a good partner and we want to support the democracy that has been achieved by the courage and sacrifice of the Egyptian people," Clinton told reporters.
She added that she had commended Morsi for his promises to be a president for all Egyptians and to protect rights of women and minorities.
Clinton said the US would grant Egypt 250 million dollars in credit guarantees for trade and would create a 60-million-dollar investment fund for the Middle Eastern country.
A high-level US delegation will visit Egypt in September to explore business and trade opportunities in the country, according to the US official.
Clinton is due Sunday to meet with Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the head of the powerful Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.
Clinton, who arrived in Cairo on Saturday for the two-day visit, will also meet with senior government officials, civil society representatives, and business leaders during her visit, which will take her through Cairo, as well as to the country's second city Alexandria.
Scores of activists Saturday held protests outside the presidential palace and the US embassy in Cairo to protest Washington's foreign policy and the so-called "US-Islamist alliance" allegedly permitting American interference in Egyptians' national affairs.
The US has been an long-time ally of Egypt, with 1.5 billion dollars of aid given annually to Cairo, most of which goes to the military
Clinton's visit comes as Morsi is caught in a perceived power struggle with the military, who ruled the country for around 16 months following the ouster of Hosny Mubarak last year.
Clinton said after talks with Morsi that the US supports a full transition to civilian rule in Egypt.
Morsi is also locked in a deepening row with the judiciary after he reinstated the parliament, which had been invalidated by the country's top court.
The parliament was dominated by Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood group, and other Islamist allies.
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