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US Deputy NSA Blinken's unannounced visit to UAE to discuss Egypt

President Obama's Deputy National Security Advisor Antony Blinken took an unannounced trip to the United Arab Emirates earlier this week to consult with Emirati, Iraqi, and other Gulf country officials on Egypt, the White House has told Al-Monitor.

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US President Barack Obama speaks on the phone with Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi as US Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken (L) stands by at the Radisson Blu Sandton Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa. — White House Photo/Pete Souza

US Deputy National Security Advisor Antony Blinken traveled to the United Arab Emirates earlier this week for consultations with Emirati, Iraqi and other Gulf country officials on Egypt, the White House told Al-Monitor.

Blinken in the UAE met with “counterparts from the UAE and neighboring countries to discuss recent developments in the region,” National Security Council spokesperson Caitlin Hayden told Al-Monitor in response to a query Wednesday. “I don't have any further details for you on those discussions.”

Blinken was accompanied on the trip by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iraq and Iran Brett McGurk and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Amos Hochstein.

Among the issues discussed in the meeting were UAE and Gulf assistance to Egypt in the wake of the ouster of Mohammed Morsi.

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