The international community on Sunday welcomed the conclusion of Egypt's presidential election process and congratulated Mohamed Morsi on his victory. Morsi, candidate of Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, got 51.73 percent of all the votes in the run-off round, defeating his rival Ahmed Shafiq, who got 48.27 percent. Morsi said late Sunday that he would respect all international agreements and form very balanced relations with all international forces in his first televised speech to the nation after he was officially declared winner of the presidential polls. Egypt held its historical presidential election on May 23-24 after the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak last year. Morsi and Shafiq, who were the two front-runners in the first round, entered the run-off which kicked off on June 16. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday commended the Egyptian people for the peaceful atmosphere in which the elections were held and congratulated Morsi on his election. Ban said he believed Morsi would spare no effort in "ensuring the people of Egypt realize their aspirations for greater democracy, the promotion of human rights, and a more prosperous and stable Egypt for all of its citizens." "The imminent handover of power to the elected president marks the end of one important phase of Egypt's ongoing transition to greater democracy," Ban added. On Sunday, the European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton also welcomed the peaceful conduct of the presidential election in Egypt and called the election "a major milestone in Egypt's democratic transition and an historic moment for the country and the region." Ashton also looked forward to engaging with President Morsi and his executives and encouraged the president-elect to reach out to all other political and social groups. U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday extended his congratulations to Morsi and stressed "the United States will continue to support Egypt's transition to democracy and stand by the Egyptian people as they fulfill the promise of their revolution." Obama expressed his interest in working together with Morsi on the basis of mutual trust and affirmed the commitment to advance the U.S.-Egypt partnership. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said he respected the democratic process in Egypt and the results of the presidential elections. He said Israel looked forward to continuing cooperation with the Egyptian government on the basis of the peace treaty between the two countries, which serves the mutual interests of both countries and contributes to regional stability. Iran's Foreign Ministry said Sunday the incoming Egyptian president would "play an effective role in the all-out growth and excellence of the country and the initiation of a transformative era" in Egypt's history. The Palestine Liberation Organization welcomed Morsi's winning and appreciated "the democratic Egyptian choice," adding that the winning of the Muslim Brotherhood would not change Egypt's position regarding the Palestinian cause. Islamic Hamas movement ruling the Gaza Strip on Sunday said Morsi's election would support the armed resistance against the Israeli occupation. Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika extended his warm greetings to Morsi, and expressed his country's commitment to reinforce ties with Egypt and expand bilateral cooperation in all sectors.
