SCZONE chair showcases investment opportunities to US institutions, companies    Eight Arab, Muslim states reject any displacement of Palestinians    Egypt launches 32nd International Quran Competition with participants from over 70 countries    Al-Sisi reviews expansion of Japanese school model in Egypt    Egypt launches National Health Compact to expand access to quality care    Netanyahu's pick for Mossad chief sparks resignation threats over lack of experience    EU drafts central energy plan to fix grid bottlenecks and save billions    United Bank to roll out specialised healthcare financing packages, including green financing: Kashmiry    US warns NATO allies against 'bullying' American defence firms amid protectionism row    Egypt signs $121 million deal with Cheiron for oil output boost    Egypt's NUCA, SHMFF sign New Cairo land allocation for integrated urban project    Egypt declares Red Sea's Great Coral Reef a new marine protected area    Gold prices fall on Thursday    Egypt recovers two ancient artefacts from Belgium    Egypt assumes COP24 presidency of Barcelona Convention    Egypt, Saudi nuclear authorities sign MoU to boost cooperation on nuclear safety    Giza master plan targets major hotel expansion to match Grand Egyptian Museum launch    Australia returns 17 rare ancient Egyptian artefacts    China invites Egypt to join African duty-free export scheme    Egypt calls for stronger Africa-Europe partnership at Luanda summit    Egypt begins 2nd round of parliamentary elections with 34.6m eligible voters    Egypt warns of erratic Ethiopian dam operations after sharp swings in Blue Nile flows    Egypt scraps parliamentary election results in 19 districts over violations    Egypt extends Ramses II Tokyo Exhibition as it draws 350k visitors to date    Egypt signs host agreement for Barcelona Convention COP24 in December    Al-Sisi urges probe into election events, says vote could be cancelled if necessary    Filmmakers, experts to discuss teen mental health at Cairo festival panel    Cairo International Film Festival to premiere 'Malaga Alley,' honour Khaled El Nabawy    Egypt golf team reclaims Arab standing with silver; Omar Hisham Talaat congratulates team    Egypt launches Red Sea Open to boost tourism, international profile    Omar Hisham Talaat: Media partnership with 'On Sports' key to promoting Egyptian golf tourism    Sisi expands national support fund to include diplomats who died on duty    Egypt's PM reviews efforts to remove Nile River encroachments    Egypt resolves dispute between top African sports bodies ahead of 2027 African Games    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



EU supports Egypt's democratic transition
Tamer Mohamed Published in The Egyptian Gazette on 23 - 02 - 2011

CAIRO - During her visit to Egypt, EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton said that she had come with the hopes of the European Union that Egypt can successfully pass through the transitional phase into democracy and achieve the noble aims of the Egyptian revolution.
"The EU stands ready to support the democratic transition and I intend to discuss in Cairo how the EU can best assist Egypt," she stressed.
Ashton added after a meeting with Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq that the EU would support the European Investment Bank (EIB), which is offering 488 million euros towards infrastructure projects and investments in Egypt.
She also said that the EU would help the bank offer more aid to Egypt, if it so wishes.
Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini yesterday carried a message from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to the head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy, stressing that Italy wants to maintain its position as Egypt's biggest European trade partner.
Frattini told Tantawy that his country was now ready to negotiate the third phase of dept swap, in which 120 million euros of Egyptian debts will be turned into grants for development projects here.
The Italian Foreign Minister referred to the agreement of the EIB to allocate 6 billion euros for developing the Southern Mediterranean region, as the first step for launching a Mediterranean pact and developing the region, in order to create more opportunities for future generations.
Frattini added that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is also ready to contribute about 1 billion euros to support the Southern Mediterranean countries.
According to him, Italy has now stopped warning its nationals against coming to Egypt. He expressed his hopes that other European countries will follow suit soon.
"I also hope to help Egypt grow closer to the European Union, giving it a status that a country like Morocco enjoys,” he told reporters in Cairo.
In his meeting with Secretary-General of the Arab League Amr Moussa, Frattini agreed with what Moussa described as a roadmap for democratic transition in Egypt, stressing that no-one can interfere in the Egyptians' choices for democratic transition. William J. Burns, US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, also expressed Washington's support to the post-Mubarak Egypt.
"We'll continue to encourage concrete steps to build confidence and to sustain the momentum of the transition, including the constitutional amendments that are being considered, careful preparations for elections, the release of more political detainees and the lifting of the Emergency Law," Burns said at the Arab League.
Meanwhile, sources at Cairo Airport said that a high-level Israeli official visited Egypt and met with some Egyptian officials, in order to discuss the recent developments in Egypt. There were no further details.
Meanwhile, a Swedish diplomatic source said that Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, now in Cairo, will meet with Shafiq Wednesday to discuss how Sweden and the EU can help Egypt in this transitional phase.

Clic here to read the story from its source.