CAIRO, May 20 (Aswat Masriya) - Egypt's foreign minister held talks over the phone with his German counterpart on Wednesday ahead of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's scheduled trip to Germany, after a prominent German politician cancelled talks with Sisi.

Norbert Lammert, the head of the German lower house of parliament announced on Tuesday that he decided to cancel a meeting with Sisi during his visit to Berlin, which starts on June 3. 

In a message to the Egyptian ambassador to Germany, published on the parliament's website, Lammert said that instead of setting a time for parliamentary elections, we have been witnessing for months the "systematic pursuit" of opposition groups, "coupled with mass arrests" and long prison sentences.

He added that there is also an "unbelievable number" of death sentences, including one handed to the former speaker of parliament Mohamed Saad al-Katatni.

Katatni, who is a leading Muslim Brotherhood figure, was referred to Egypt's Grand Mufti on Saturday by court, alongside 105 others, including ousted president Mohamed Mursi.  

A referral to the mufti is a step that must be taken within Egypt's court system ahead of handing a death sentence. The mufti gives his opinion on issuing the death sentence and while his opinion is not binding, it is customary for the court to adopt it. 

"Given that the situation will neither contribute to bringing internal peace to the country, nor to democratic development," Lammert said he does not see a "basis" for talks with Sisi. 

In response, the Egyptian ambassador to Germany said in a statement that Egypt never requested a meeting with the German politician but talks were listed, as part of a "framework" prepared by the German side to crystallise a programme for the visit.

Despite this, Sisi's visit is still on track and Egyptian minister Sameh Shukri and Frank-Walter Steinmeier discussed the aspirations of both countries towards strengthening ties on the political, economic and cultural levels, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

Steinmeier, himself was in Cairo earlier this month and he held talks with Sisi, in which the Egyptian president discussed the importance of using German capacity to support Egypt's efforts to fight poverty and illiteracy.