Egypt's Armed Forces General Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (R) meets with US Senators John McCain (C) and Lindsey Graham at the Ministry of Defense in Cairo August 6, 2013 (Photo: Reuters)
Egyptian officials held talks with two leading US senators in Cairo on Tuesday as part of ongoing intense diplomatic efforts to resolve the political impasse that has engulfed Egypt since the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi in early July.
Egypt's army commander-in-chief and defence minister Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with US senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham to discuss an end to the current state of polarisation and violence, state news agency MENA reported.
They also discussed ways to implement the army-sponsored proposed roadmap to the country's political future in an inclusive manner.
Egypt's army chief of staff Sedki Sobhi, a number of military leaders, and US ambassador Anne Patterson attended the meeting.
In another meeting, the US senators discussed the same issues with Prime Minister Hazem El-Beblawi.
McCain and Graham arrived in Cairo on Monday and are expected to spend two days.
Their visit comes as other international delegations continue diplomatic efforts to mediate an end to a stand-off between the interim army-backed government and Morsi's Islamist loyalist.
Envoys from the United States, headed by US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, European Union, United Arab Emirates and Qatar have met government, military and Islamist leaders in the last few days, but to no avail so far.
Since the army deposed Morsi on 3 July amid mass demonstrations against him, his supporters, led by the Muslim Brotherhood, have been protesting nationwide calling for his reinstatement.
Clashes in the last 5 weeks between Morsi supporters, on the one hand, and security forces and anti-Morsi protesters, on the other hand, have left more than 200 dead and hundreds injured - mostly Morsi loyalists.
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