DHAKA: US state secretary John Kerry said on Thursday that Washington’s suspension of military hardware deliveries to Egypt was ‘not a withdrawal’ of US friendship and could be lifted ‘based on performance’.

‘By no means is this a withdrawal from our relationship or a severing of our serious commitment to helping the government’ transition to democracy, Kerry said, reports The Straits Times.

Earlier, Egypt criticised a decision by the US to suspend a large part of the $1.3bn in aid it receives, following months of political turmoil.

A government spokesman in Cairo said the move was wrong and Egypt would ‘not surrender to American pressure’.

The US said this week it was suspending the delivery of large-scale military systems and withholding cash support, according to the BBC.

BDST: 1951 HRS, OCT 10, 2013
RoR/RIS