CAIRO
Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmi held a joint meeting Saturday with US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and European Union envoy Bernadino León.
"Fahmi conveyed the Egyptian government's view of internal developments and reiterated its commitment to the roadmap (imposed by the army after President Mohamed Morsi's July 3 ouster)," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry stressed that the government was committed to "working to achieve national reconciliation with the participation of all political parties without exception as long as they are peaceful, renounce violence and avoid incitement."
According to the Foreign Ministry statement, Fahmi has signaled his readiness to welcome foreign delegations to hear their views on the issue.
"The final decision is up to the Egyptian government alone to fulfill the will of the Egyptian people and achieve Egypt's supreme interest and national security and confront acts of incitement, violence and terrorism," the statement read.
The US and EU diplomats, for their part, stressed that Egypt's future must be decided by the Egyptian people without any foreign interference.
The two men said that their visits "aimed to hear the views of the government and political powers and provide any possible help to end the current state of polarization," the ministry statement added.
Burns and León were also quoted as saying that they sought "to persuade the stakeholders to halt all forms of incitement and violence to move towards national reconciliation and an inclusive political process to help the country face uphill challenges."
The two foreign diplomats declined to give statements following their talks with the Egyptian foreign minister.
- US deputy secretary of state meets Morsi allies
US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns on Saturday concluded a meeting with leaders of the National Alliance for the Defense of Legitimacy (NADL), a coalition of Islamist parties supportive of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.
The senior US diplomat urged NADL leaders to end their ongoing pro-Morsi sit-ins, enter into political dialogue and take steps to achieve calm, high-level political sources told Anadolu Agency.
Wasat Party spokesman Tareq al-Malt, who attended Saturday's meeting, said the delegation had told the US envoy that it "rejects foreign interference in Egypt's affairs" and that "any solution to the crisis must be entirely Egyptian."
He insisted that dialogue "will not be launched with the military establishment or the presidency, but rather with all political parties and powers."
According to al-Malt, Burns' visit and meetings aim to defuse the situation and foster a favorable atmosphere for dialogue.
He stressed, however, that the NADL would only accept "calm" provided that the fierce media campaign against Morsi supporters was halted, security crackdowns on political leaders were brought to an end, and Egyptian television was allowed to cover ongoing pro-Morsi protests in Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya Square and Nahda Square in Giza.
Al-Malt said that initiatives aimed at resolving the crisis could form the basis for dialogue based on a commitment to democratic principles and constitutional legitimacy.
Saturday's meeting was also attended by former ministers Mohamed Ali Beshr and Amr Darrag, and NADL member Nevin Malak.
Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed al-Beltagi, for his part, had earlier described the meeting within the context of his group's insistence on "the reinstatement of legitimacy."
Burns arrived in Cairo on Friday for his second visit to Egypt since Morsi's July 3 ouster by the powerful military after mass protests against his regime.
He met earlier today with Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmi to discuss recent developments in Egypt and bilateral relations.
On Sunday, the senior US diplomat is scheduled to meet with army chief and Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and interim President Adly Mansour.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
englishnews@aa.com.tr
