Egypt has summoned its US ambassador after learning about a private meeting in Washington with members of the Muslim Brotherhood, Reuters reported Tuesday.
An anonymous source told Reuters US officials didn't plan to meet the group but had met wih some Brotherhood members in January when they were in Washington. Sources didn't say when US Ambassador Stephen Beecroft was called in but said Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi wanted to make clear his disapproval of the discussion.
State Department Jeff Rathke said it was US policy to engage with people across the political spectrum in Egypt.
The US has been struggling with balancing criticism of Egypt's human rights record and its relationship with Sisi, who was elected after the revolution in 2013 in the hopes of providing more stability to the country.
Sisi's government ruled the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization late 2013 and has detained hundreds of its alleged members. Many of them have been sentenced to death including former president Mohammed Morsi, who is still awaiting a final verdict.
