(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) US Secretary of State John Kerry met Tuesday with Egypt's Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy during which he affirmed that Egypt has been for a long time "a very important strategic partner of the United States." Kerry said the two countries share "common interests, particularly the stability of the region, counterterrorism, peace with Israel." In remarks to reporters, Kerry said "Egypt has been going through a very difficult transitional process.
"What happens in the next weeks and months is very, very important to all of us. We want the interim government to be successful," he stressed.
He added "we are hopeful and look for a political process of inclusivity, a Constitution implemented which brings people politically to the table and broadens the democratic base of Egypt." The US top diplomat noted that even with the "positive" steps Egypt has taken "we all know there have been disturbing decisions within the judicial process, the court system, that have raised serious challenges for all of us.
"We will discuss these issues today very candidly, forthrightly. And we do so in a spirit that wants to find a way for Egypt to be able to make it through this transition, and share a full democracy with its people and be able to take the steps that create the stability and strength that is necessary for a country like Egypt, where everybody looks to the potential of Egypt's reemergence on the global stage as a major partner in our strategic concerns," he remarked.
He reiterated "we really are looking for certain things to happen that will give people the sense of confidence about this road ahead. It's actions, not words that will make the difference." For his part, Fahmy said he comes to Washington "representing people that want democracy, they want to be stakeholders in the future, they want to build a better country, that are going through a transformation that is societal, not simply changing one president for the other." He affirmed that "we need to deal with the challenges that we face without disturbing institutional relationships." As for the challenges within the judicial system, he stressed "they are completely independent from the government, but of course, they're part of what Egypt is all about." He declined to comment on the content of court's decisions but voiced confidence "that due process is allowed, and that the legal system will ultimately end up with proper decisions in each of these cases.
"We will build a democracy based on the rule of law, and the rule of law means applying laws that are consistent with the constitution through a legal system that's independent and credible to us all, most of all, to the Egyptian people," he remarked.
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