LONDON: World leaders hailed Hosni Mubarak's decision on Friday to step down as Egyptian president after 30 years in power, saying they shared the joy of Egyptians and hoped the transition to democracy would be peaceful. "I look forward to the future to build a national consensus in the coming period. There is a big chance now and a window has opened after this white revolution and after the president's concession," the Egyptian secretary-general of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, told Al Arabiya television. "Today is a day of great joy," German Chancellor Angela Merkel told a news conference. "We are all witness to historic change. I share the joy of people on the streets of Egypt." The most eagerly anticipated reaction was expected from Washington, where President Barack Obama was due to make an address later on Friday. The White House said he watched scenes from Cairo on TV after being told Mubarak stepped down. Vice President Joe Biden called it a "pivotal" moment in the history of Egypt and the Middle East. European foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said: "By standing down, (Mubarak) has listened to the voices of the Egyptian people and has opened the way to faster and deeper reforms." "It is important now that the dialogue is accelerated, leading to a broad-based government which will respect the aspirations of, and deliver stability for, the Egyptian people." Switzerland has frozen assets that may belong to Mubarak. "I can confirm that Switzerland has frozen possible assets of the former Egyptian president with immediate effect," spokesman Lars Knuchel said soon after Mubarak bowed to 18 days of mass protests. "As a result of this measure any assets are frozen for three years." He did not say how much money was involved or where it was. Assets belonging to Mubarak's associates would also be targeted so as to limit the chance of state funds being plundered, the ministry said. Mubarak and his associates would be prevented from selling or otherwise disposing of property, notably real estate. British Prime Minister David Cameron said, "Egypt now has a really precious moment of opportunity to have a government that can bring the country together. As a friend of Egypt and the Egyptian people we stand ready to help in any way we can.” "We believe it must be a government that starts to put in place the building blocks of a truly open, free and democratic society," he told BBC television. "What has happened today should only be the first step. Those who now run Egypt have a duty to reflect the wishes of the Egyptian people and in particular there really must be a move to civilian and democratic rule as part of this important transition to an open, democratic and free Egypt," he added. A senior Israeli official said Israel hoped Mubarak's resignation would not bring any change to relations with Cairo. Officials in Israel have expressed worry that Mubarak's successors might distance themselves from the peace treaty between the two countries, one of the cornerstones of Middle Eastern diplomacy but unpopular with many Egyptians. "It's too early to foresee how (the resignation) will affect things," the official said. "We hope that the change to democracy in Egypt will happen without violence and that the peace accord will remain." Germany's Merkel also called on Egypt to respect the treaty with Israel and said those now in charge should ensure that developments were "irreversible and peaceful". In Gaza, the Palestinian enclave that has been jointly blockaded by Israel and Mubarak's Egypt, residents let off fireworks and fired guns into the air in celebration. Sami Abu Zuhri, spokesman for Hamas, the Islamist militant group that controls Gaza, called on Egypt's new leaders to lift the blockade. "The resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is the beginning of the victory of the Egyptian revolution," he said. "Such a victory was the result of the sacrifices and the steadfastness of the Egyptian people." Amr Moussa, secretary general of the Arab league and himself an Egyptian, described the popular revolt as a "white revolution" that would provide an opportunity. He said he would work to help build national consensus in his homeland. Within the wider Arab world, the royal council of the Emir of Qatar called the resignation "a positive, important step towards the Egyptian people's aspirations of achieving democracy and reform and a life of dignity." The United Arab Emirates said it trusted Egypt's higher military council to run Egypt's affairs and was keen to maintain a strong relationship with the country after Hosni Mubarak resigned as Egypt's president on Friday. "The UAE, which has closely monitored developments in Egypt, confirms its confidence in the ability of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces in running the country's affairs in these delicate circumstances in such a way that would realize aspirations and hopes of the Egyptian people," the statement from the Emirates News Agency said.
