Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticised Friday a US Embassy in Cairo security alert urging US citizens to avoid gatherings and public spaces in the capital over the weekend. The embassy did not identify any "security threats," a ministry statement read.
The US Embassy did not coordinate with the foreign ministry or notify Egyptian authorities of the reasons behind the security alert, the foreign ministry statement read.
"[This] sheds question marks on the reasons behind issuing the [security warning] in this manner," the statement added.
The foreign ministry also said that officials called the US Embassy in Cairo following the release of the security alert to inquire about reasons behind it. The ministry said the embassy denied there was a particular reason for issuing the warning, adding that it is a routine procedure during extended weekends.
During the phone call, the ministry told the embassy "it rejected such security alarms, that don't give a reason, and that could have negative impacts and harm the country's economy."
The Canadian Embassy in Cairo issued a similar security alert Friday, without giving reasons.
