Dr Al Attiyah
BERLIN: The Foreign Minister H E Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah and his German counterpart yesterday condemned the spiralling violence in Egypt, urging political dialogue to avoid further bloodshed.
“We in Qatar are extremely concerned about the high number of victims. We are devastated by the violence,” Dr Al Attiyah said
According to wire agency AFP, Dr Al Attiyah called for an end to violence and dialogue between all parties as well as the freedom of political prisoners.
“We are deeply distressed by the ongoing and brutal violence in Egypt,” German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle told journalists after meeting Dr Al Attiyah.
“There is no other solution... for Egypt but dialogue, including all political forces. Otherwise there is great danger that more blood will spill... which indicates the danger of civil war,” he said.
Westerwelle renewed an early call for “effective protection of the Christian community” after a rise in attacks in recent days.
He also held an “extensive” telephone conversation with his Egyptian counterpart Nabil Fahmy yesterday in which he called for calm and moderation, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.
At least 173 people have been killed in Egypt in the past 24 hours alone, bringing the death toll to more than 800 people since police cracked down on two camps of supporters of deposed president Mohammed Mursi in the capital Cairo on Wednesday, AFP reported.
Meanwhile, Qatar News Agency (QNA) said that Dr Al Attiyah later went to Paris, arriving in the French capital yesterday on a working visit. He will meet his French counterpart Laurent Fabius today.
QNA said that it learnt that during the meeting the two ministers will exchange views and discuss regional issues, especially the crisis Egypt is going through.
However, another key issue on the agenda of the ministers will be relations between their two countries, according to QNA.
The Qatari state news agency said that the visit of the foreign minister to France comes as part of efforts of Qatar to find a political solution to the crisis in Egypt.
Dr Al Attiyah was welcomed at Le Bourget Airport in Paris by Qatar’s Ambassador to France, Mohamed Jaham Al Kuwari, QNA said. The Peninsula
