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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, waves while ending a statement to the media, next to Mohammed Kassem, of World Trading Company, during a meeting with business leaders in Cairo, Egypt on Saturday, March 2, 2013. Cairo is the sixth leg of Kerry's first official overseas trip and begins the Middle East portion of his nine-day journey.
CAIRO—U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is wrapping up a visit to deeply divided Egypt with an appeal for unity and reform to the country's president and military chief.

A day after warning the country's bickering politicians they must overcome differences to get Egypt's faltering economy back on track and maintain its leadership role in the volatile Middle East, Kerry was bringing a similar message on Sunday to President Mohammed Morsi and his defense minister. The U.S. is deeply concerned that continued instability in Egypt will have broader consequences in a region already rocked by unrest.

Opponents of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood say they will boycott upcoming parliamentary elections and violent clashes between protesters and security forces have created an environment of insecurity, complicating Egyptian efforts to secure vital international aid.