: Kerry promised to return to Cairo with ideas to help invigorate Egypt economy and to aid Egypt in its campaign against ISIS. "We talked about ways in which we can hopefully resolve some of the differences and questions that have arisen about the internal politics and choices for the people of Egypt," Kerry added, according to CNN. It was an oblique reference to the deteriorating human rights situation that has been a source of growing tensions between the longtime allies and has triggered a debate in Washington about U.S. economic assistance. Calling Egypt "critical to the peace and security" of the region, Kerry said the U.S. wants to help Egypt succeed in its efforts to overcome the "difficult challenges" it faces economically and in combatting extremists in the Sinai Peninsula, where militants have formed a local ISIS affiliate. Read More The Obama administration has become increasingly public with its frustrations as the government crackdown on civil society has intensified. The decision, Kerry said, came against "a wider backdrop of arrests and intimidation of political opposition, journalists, civil society activists and cultural figures."The comments drew a sharp response from Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, who said Egypt rejected "tutelage" about its human rights from other countries. Last month Kerry said he was "deeply concerned" about the worsening democratic trends in Egypt, including the government decision to revive an investigation into two prominent human rights activists whose NGOs are accused of illegally receiving foreign funding.
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