David Cameron becomes first foreign leader to visit the county, urges leaders to the path of demoncracy
David Cameron becomes first foreign leader to visit the county, urges leaders to the path of demoncracyBritish prime minister, David Cameron, held talks in Cairo yesterday with military and civilian leaders, becoming the highest-ranking foreign leader to visit Egypt since the popular uprising that led to the ousting of long-time president, Hosni Mubarak.
David Cameron speaks to Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik. Cameron was keen on the visit and wanted to be the first to arrive in CairoCameron, met with the country's de facto military leader Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi, and Ahmed Shafiq, the prime minister who heads a caretaker government.
Earlier, he told reporters that he was in Cairo to express support for a genuine transition to civilian rule and an end to the repressive emergency law that remains one of Mubarak's enduring legacies.
He was expected later to meet with opposition leaders, with the exception of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group that was banned by the former government and shunned in diplomatic circles but that is playing an active role in the reborn politics of Egypt.
William J Burns, the American undersecretary of state for political affairs, also arrived in Cairo for meetings with government officials and civil society representatives, the State Department said.
Analysts have indicated that it is somewhat unusual for a major world leader to visit a country that is still in the process of setting up a new government, with many questions surrounding it.
Cameron has emphasised that he will campaign for the establishment of democracy in Egypt, which is currently under an interim military rule.
"This is a great opportunity for us to go and talk to those currently running Egypt to make sure this really is a genuine transition from military rule to civilian rule and see what friendly countries like Britain and others in Europe can do to help," he said. "I am particularly keen... to get to Egypt and to be one of the first people there."
Cameron is also slated to meet with opposition figures, although not with the Muslim Brotherhood, the banned Islamist group.
"What is so refreshing about what's been happening is that this is not an Islamist revolt," Cameron said. "This is not extremists on the streets. This is people who want to have the sort of basic freedoms that we take for granted in the UK."
Cameron also indicated that the "huge ties of history and culture" between Britain and Egypt puts him in a good stead to recommend freedom and democracy for the country.
Before arriving in Cairo, Cameron waded into the subject of Libya, where government troops have used deadly force against protesters, killing at least 200 over the past few days.
"Our message, as it has been throughout this I think we have been extremely consistent in saying that the response to the aspirations people are showing on the streets of these countries must be one of reform not repression," he said.
"We can see what is happening in Libya which is completely appalling and unacceptable as the regime is using the most vicious forms of repression against people who want to see that country, make progress." ufffd Agencies
Assets frozenAuthorities in Egypt have frozen the assets of former President Hosni Mubarak, his wife Suzanne and his sons Alaa and Gamal.
