CAIRO: In a roundtable discussion in Cairo with US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman said that the issue of international monitoring of elections in Egypt is a question for Egyptians to answer. However, he pointed out that Egypt might want to consider the expertise of the international community and the role they are playing in preparing, observing and monitoring elections elsewhere, especially so that Egypt would have credible elections that meet the standards the people expect. Commenting on the rise of Islamist groups in Egypt, including the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis, Feltman said, “How inspired we were with the images of Muslim and Christian solidarity […] it gives us great confidence about the direction Egypt is headed.” He added that even though they might be concerned with the role extremists can play, they look back at these inspiring images from Tahrir Square where people stood up for their right to pray and for freedom of speech. Feltman also commented on the recent developments in Egypt-Iran relations. “Egyptians know very well the type of [damage] Iran caused in the region … [Egypt] sees the risk Iran poses [and has a] clear idea of what Iran is and what it symbolizes,” he said. As part of his visit, Feltman met former secretary general of the Arab League and presidential hopeful Amr Moussa on Wednesday morning. Their discussions concluded that it is in the US' best interest to support the democratic aspirations of people in the region. “I wanted to have the chance to compare notes with [Moussa] about this emphasis in our foreign policy, about our support for democratic reform, our rejection of violence against citizens, and our standing with the aspirations of the people in the Middle East for a better future,” he said. Feltman also said that they discussed moving forward in the Palestinian-Israeli peace, which needs to be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, and assurances for Israel's security. His visit to Cairo follows a visit to Libya. “What I saw in Ben Ghazi is inspiring,” he said, describing scenes of members of the civil society holding inclusive discussions on the role of women and the move towards democracy. “[There is] slow but steady progress towards transition of power in Libya,” he said.
