January 19, 2006	Thursday	Zilhaj 18, 1426

CAIRO, Jan 18: Egypt risks missing its chance to clinch a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States if talks do not kick off in the coming weeks, an official with the US Congress said on Wednesday.

Washington, which has voiced concern over Egypt’s recent human rights record, has hinted that further economic cooperation with Cairo could be made conditional on political and democratic reform.

The congressional staffer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that if FTA talks were not launched “within three weeks to a month, you could lose the opportunity until 2010 ... that’s the grim reality”.

“The FTA has been taken off course by unrelated events,” he added without specifying whether concerns over democracy had slowed down the process.

Another congressional staffer, addressing a breakfast of Egyptian businessmen organized by the US chamber of commerce (Amcham), suggested that reform would inevitably weigh in on any trade deal.

“Progress on political reform is going to have an impact on congressional FTA vote,” he said.—AFP