EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton arrived in Egypt Tuesday to meet with interim President Adly Mansour and General Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, defence minister, who has also been appointed as the first deputy prime minister.

Ashton is also scheduled to meet Nabil Fahmy, the newly-appointed foreign minister. She will be focusing on the democratic process in Egypt following the removal of former president Mohamed Morsi.

She is also expected to have talks with Egyptian authorities on the country's political roadmap.

Morsi was ousted on 3 July as part of the armed forces' roadmap for Egypt's future that was enforced in the wake of mass nationwide protests against Morsi.

The roadmap, which also saw the parliament's upper chamber dissolved and 2012 constitution frozen, includes parliamentary elections and consensual constitutional amendments.

The transitional period ends, as per the temporary constitutional declaration issued by Adly, after new presidential elections due next year.