CAIRO
US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham have left Cairo following talks with government officials and Muslim Brotherhood leaders on Egypt's lingering political impasse.
Burns, who arrived in Cairo on Friday for his second visit since the military's overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi last month, was due to leave on Saturday before extending his stay for more talks.
He has met with interim President Adly Mansour, Vice President for International Relations Mohamed ElBaradei, Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi and Defense Minister Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.
Burns also met with representatives from the National Alliance for the Defense of Legitimacy, a pro-Morsi coalition of Islamists parties and figures.
He also met with jailed Brotherhood deputy leader Khairat al-Shater.
Senators McCain and Graham also left Cairo.
McCain has described the July 3 ouster of Morsi by the powerful army as a "coup".
"We have said we share the democratic aspirations and criticism of the Morsi government that led millions of Egyptians into the streets," he told a press conference in Cairo on Tuesday.
"We've also said that the circumstances of [Morsi's] removal was a coup. This was a transition of power not by the ballot box."
The Egyptian Presidency dismissed the remarks as "unacceptable interference" in Egypt's internal affairs.
"John McCain is twisting facts and his statements are totally rejected," presidential media adviser Ahmed al-Meslimani said.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
