FJP meets US and French envoy and appeals for mutual respect Cairo – Akram Ali The chairman of the Freedom and Justice Party – the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt – Mohamed Morsi met with US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, at the FJP offices in Manyal, Cairo.
The US envoy started with congratulating the party for its victory in the parliamentary elections, saying that the US “respects the choice of the Egyptian people, reflected in the ongoing, free, and transparent elections.”
Burns stated that the US is ready to offer economic assistance to Egypt, to overcome the current challenges, highlighting the significance of the major positive role Egypt plays in the region.
He stressed that his visit aims to be introduced to the FJP’s perspective with respect to economy and the political scene in Egypt as well as in the region, noting that the US has economic programs that could help encourage foreign direct investment in Egypt. US President Barack Obama is keen on backing up these programs, he said.
Burns called on the Egyptian authorities to enhance cooperation with the international financial institutions, notably the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to overcome the economic challenges.
On his part Morsy said his party is working to build consensus with all political forces on how to bring the country to safety after the January 25 revolution.
Morsi explained, in a press statement copied to ‘Arabstoday’, that all political powers reached consensus on the first four sections of the constitutions, relevant to freedoms and rights of citizenship, whereas the fifth section, on the authorities of the president of the republic, the political system, and the situation of the armed forces, still needs to be reviewed. He stated that FJP believes that a mixed presidential-parliamentary system would be ideal for Egypt in this transitional phase.
"The FJP believes that the Egyptian-US ties are very important and have to be based on mutual respect and balance," he said, urging the US Administration to adopt a more positive approach to the Arab and Muslim issues, particularly following the Arab Spring revolutions.
Regarding the US calls to cooperate with the international financial institutions and the IMF, Morsi pointed out that Egypt has great resources and potential, and that the political stability would help create appropriate atmosphere which would encourage investment, as political stability is an introduction to economic development. He explained that Egypt has an economic structure capable of reviving of the private sector; however, the unstable political situation does not motivate investors in this phase.
Morsi addressed the Palestinian cause, saying that it is of major importance to the Egyptian people and FJP, and stressing on the significance of the US role which could be used in resolving the crisis and ending the aggression on the Palestinian people. In addition, he called on the US administration to take a clearer stance toward the systematic killing of the Syrian people by the regime.
The meeting was also attended by Essam el-Eryan, deputy leader of FJP, Osama Yasin, assistant Secretary General, US Ambassador Ann Patterson, and the staff assistant to William Burns.
Meanwhile, MB’s General Guide Mohammed Badei received in his office, Wednesday, the French ambassador to Cairo Jean Felix-Paganon, who congratulated Badei for the results of the elections, stressing that it is a great responsibility which requires the Muslim Brotherhood’s reassurance to internal and external parties of their policy in the forthcoming phase.
Felix-Paganon stressed that France supports the demands of the Egyptians and the Arab peoples, and posed a few questions concerning the results of the parliamentary elections and how the MB plans to deal with it.
On his part, the General Guide stated that the Muslim Brotherhood’s policy has not changed, explaining that it is based on several key pillars, most prominently “participation rather than dominance” and keenness on national consensus. He stated that the tyrant regime ruling for decades left behind several problems, which require all the powers of Islamists, Christians, youth energy, wisdom of the elderly, and experience of its men and women to work on its renaissance and restore its grand prestige which was dwarfed by the former regime, said Badei.
He stressed that the constitution must be put by a committee elected by the parliament members, who were elected by the people, emphasizing that the committee must represent all Egyptian specters and movements, in order to form a constitution which speaks for the Egyptian people.
Badei noted that the European and US interests should now be with the peoples of the region, and that relations should be based on mutual respect and loyalty to promises and charters, without double standards, particularly with regard to the Palestinian people.