CAIRO
The Cairo airport has seen considerable buzz in recent days, with officials coming from four continents for talks aimed at finding a political solution to Egypt's political crisis amid hopes that their endeavors would result in a breakthrough.
According to Cairo airport officials, at least 15 high-profile Arab and foreign officials have arrived in the Egyptian capital within the past few days for meetings with senior Egyptian government officials.
The latest official to arrive in Cairo is Qatari Foreign Minister Khaled bin Mohamed al-Attiya, who is due to hold talks with senior Muslim Brotherhood leaders and interim government officials as part of ongoing mediation efforts.
High-level diplomatic sources told the Anadolu Agency that Qatar's top diplomat is expected, during his one-day visit, to ask to see ousted President Mohamed Morsi, who has been held at an undisclosed location since his July 3 ouster by the army.
Al-Attiya's agenda includes meetings with interim Vice-President for International Affairs Mohamed ElBaradei and Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmi, as well as Muslim Brotherhood leaders.
Diplomatic sources said al-Attiya's visit, the first by a Qatari official since Morsi's ouster, could also serve as a sign of Doha's keenness to establish a reputation for being an honest broker between rival factions in Egypt.
The talks, the sources said, come as "a continuation of foreign mediations led by European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns."
Burns met with ElBaradei and army chief Gen and Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, along with leaders of the National Alliance for the Defense of Legitimacy (NADL), a coalition of Islamist parties supportive of the ousted president.
The US official, who arrived in Cairo on Friday for a two-day visit, has extended his visit to Monday for further talks aimed at helping Egypt's rival factions find a political solution to the crisis.
A similar extension was made by United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nuhayan, who arrived in Cairo on Saturday for his second visit to Egypt since Morsi's removal. Airport sources said that the minister had likewise decided to extend his stay until Monday.
On Friday, US Secretary of State John Kerry – moments before a meeting with the UAE foreign minister in London – said that the US and other countries were working hard to find a peaceful resolution to Egypt's crisis.
"We will work very, very hard together with others in order to bring parties together to find a peaceful resolution that grows the democracy and respects the rights of everybody," Kerry said.
Also present in Cairo is a high-level African Union delegation, led by former Malian President Alpha Oumar Konare, which has met with top government officials and army generals, as well as Muslim Brotherhood representatives.
European Union envoy Bernardino León, who arrived with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton last week, is also still in Cairo for talks, sources said.
The Egyptian capital also received the foreign ministers of Eritrea and the Philippines as wellas a Malaysian delegation. Government officials from China and Russia are also expected to arrive within hours.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
