Visits highlight Cairo foreign policy change

With visits to China, Iran and the United States on the horizon, the Egyptian president is indicating that these are changing times for his country's foreign policy, analysts said.

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi will start a three-day visit to China on Tuesday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hong Lei said on Wednesday.

It is the first visit by Morsi to a country outside the Middle East and Africa since he assumed office in June.

Economic cooperation will be high on the agenda as the Egyptian economy, heavily dependent on tourism, was particularly hard hit during recent political turmoil, according to He Wenping, an expert on the Middle East and African studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"The world is turning to Asia, as Europe is still plagued by its debt crisis, and Egypt is no exception," she said.

Morsi realizes the importance of economic growth, she added.

The turmoil in Syria, and Middle East affairs in general, will also be discussed during Morsi's Beijing visit, Ye Hailin, a commentator on Middle East affairs, said.

After visiting China, Morsi will attend the Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Teheran on Thursday, the first Egyptian leader to visit Iran in 30 years.

He will also attend the UN General Assembly session in New York on Sept 23.

Morsi is adjusting the government's pro-US foreign policy, established under his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, He said.

Cairo is now trying to diversify its foreign policy and establish relations with a broader range of countries, she said.

"Egypt is honoring the Camp David Accords, ensuring that it gets US aid but is also in contact with Iran which is under US sanctions," she said.

"Morsi is recalibrating Cairo-Washington ties," she added.

Morsi took office on June 30 after protests last year toppled Mubarak.

He visited Saudi Arabia in July on his first foreign trip, followed by a visit to Ethiopia.

Relations between Iran and Egypt underwent a deep chill following the revolution that overthrew the Shah.

Ahmed Rezk, Egyptian ambassador to China, told Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday that Egypt will continue to honor its treaties, especially with Israel.

Morsi's willingness to go to Teheran shows Egypt is repositioning itself in the region, and drafting its own independent foreign policy, Ye said.

Morsi's strategy and efforts to maintain peace with major players in the region will help "restore" Egypt's influence in the Middle East, He said.