Germany condemns violence in Egypt, hails Morsi's foreign policy

Ahram Online, Saturday 26 Jan 2013

With Egyptian President Morsi's planned visit to Berlin, Germany's foreign minister voices concern over heavy-handedness against protesters a day after the govt praised Morsi's 'commitment to foreign ties'

Protests 2nd anniversary
Protesters in Tahrir Square clash with Egyptian security forces overnight on Thursday on the second anniversary of the uprising that dislodged former president Hosni Mubarak from power (Photo: Reuters)

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle expresses his concern over the wave of violence in Egypt.

"The current disputes about the direction in which Egypt should proceed have not succeeded in securing a peaceful future for the country," adds the German official.

Weterwelle asked Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi to uphold citizens' right to peaceful demonstrations.

The foreign minister's statement comes ahead of Morsi's visit to Berlin planned for next week.

Just a day before an official German spokesperson praised Morsi's constructive efforts since June, when he was elected.

"As Egypt's first freely-elected president, Morsi has stressed Egypt's commitment to foreign ties, to which the peace treaty with Israel explicitly applies," added the spokesman.

Egyptians in France

A number of Egyptians residing in France planned a march in Paris on the second anniversary of Egypt's 2011 revolution.

The march ended at the Bastille Square, the famous stage of the French revolution and took place concurrently with marches and demonstrations across Egyptian cities.

Protests recalled the revolution's main three demands: bread, freedom and social justice.

In a statement distributed during the march, protesters condemned the Egyptian constitution and called for freedom of speech and press, the equal distribution of wealth and the eradication of poverty.

International reactions come in light of two consecutive days of violence in Egypt. Protests commemorating the January 25 Revolution on Friday were frought with clashes and Saturday clashes erupted in a few Egyptian cities when an Egyptian court slammed 21 defendants with death sentences for the killing of 71 Ahly fans during a match on 1 February, 2012.

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