CAIRO, Sept. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes arrived here Sunday as part of her first Mideast tour aimed at improving US image in the Muslim world.

   Karen, a close adviser to US President George W. Bush, will pay a two-day visit to Egypt before flying to Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

   While in Cairo, the US official will hold talks with Prime Minister Ahmed Nazef and other top officials on the latest developments in the Middle East and bilateral ties, according to a statement released by the US Embassy in Cairo.

   Hughes will also meet with Grand Imam of al-Azhar Sheikh Mohamed Sayyed Tantawi and head of the Coptic Orthodox Church Pope Shenouda III.

   She will hold an open discussion at al-Azhar Garden with intellectuals, writers and representatives of Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) and deliver a speech at the American University in Cairo.

   Egypt, the most populous Arab country, has been a major ally for the United States in the region as Washington pours some 2 billion US dollars in aids to Cairo every year.

   However, anti-America sentiments are running high among common Egyptians. The Egyptian people, like most other Arabs, perceive US policy as too pro-Jewish when it comes to Palestinian-Israeli conflicts. The 2003 US invasion of Iraq deepened existing Arab hostilities toward Washington. Enditem