Egypt's parliamentary elections were "historic," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Wednesday in Cairo, pledging his country's commitment to help the transition to democracy. Westerwelle during a news conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr congratulated Egyptians on their revolution, "which they should be proud of, in order to achieve the freedom and democracy they aspire to." He said that although German tourism to Egypt declined signficiantly amid unrest, it improved in November. "Stability and security in Egypt will promote the increase of these numbers in the future," he said. Westerwelle said he discussed many issues with Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, such as the state of emergency, military laws, and the work of civil society organizations. He said Tantawi assured him of SCAF's commitment to its timetable for ending the transition period and handing over power to civilians. Westerwelle said his country is "dedicated to all its commitments" and that Germany allocated 100 million euros to Egypt's democratic transformation. He said other European Union countries also donated aid. "We also have many projects in Egypt, for example, a project to employ 5,000 Egyptians," he said. "We are also working on concluding a free trade agreement with Egypt, and Germany is working on opening European markets to Egyptian goods in order to achieve Egyptian development." Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
