Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi yesterday vowed to uphold democracy and the rule of law during a visit to Berlin in which he was urged by German Chancellor Angela Merkel to reach out to the opposition amid ongoing violence in the north African country.
Mursi’s first official visit to the West since becoming president last year had to be shortened to just over eight hours to allow him to return to Cairo to confront the crisis.
Merkel expressed her concerns that “the lines of dialogue with every political force in Egypt remain open, that the various political forces can play a role, that human rights in Egypt be observed and naturally that freedom of religion be exercised”.
Mursi was ready with assurances, saying he was committed to liberties.
“Egypt will have the rule of law, a civilian state that is neither of a military nor a theocratic nature, a state that permits opinions and counter-opinions, a democratic state in every meaning of the word,” he said
