PR firm APCO Worldwide has taken on lobbying for Egypt in the US after Weber Shandwick withdrew earlier this month from a contract with Egypt six months after signing, according to industry publication the Holmes Report. “[The firm would help Egypt] tell its story. … As the country returns to stability, they are paying more attention to increasing trade and investment in the region. The economy is improving, tourism is up by about 50% this year. There is a positive story to be told,” said APCO founder and chairman Margery Kraus. Unfazed by criticism that the initial account was hired by the Egyptian Intelligence Directorate, which contributed to Weber’s exit, Kraus added that said that the funding came from the intelligence service because “Egypt views its relationship with the United States as a national security issue.” Cassidy & Associates, formerly a subsidiary of Weber Shandwick, will reportedly also continue to lobby for Egypt’s General Intelligence Service.