The Foreign Minister H E Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius at the Foreign Ministry in Paris, yesterday.
DOHA: Qatar clarified yesterday that its support was for Egypt as a whole and not for the Muslim Brotherhood or any other political party or group.
The Foreign Minister, H E Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah, in France on a visit, told reporters in Paris yesterday that Qatar began supporting Egypt right after the revolution.
“And the support continues till date. There are misunderstandings about Qatar’s support. It is for Egypt,” he said. “We never provide support to a political party.” Dr Al Attiyah was addressing a news conference jointly with his French counterpart, Laurent Fabius.
Saudi Arabia warned the West against putting pressure on Egypt’s military-backed government to halt a crackdown on supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohammed Mursi.
“We will not achieve anything through threats,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal, told reporters through an interpreter during a visit to Paris.
France called on Saudi Arabia and Qatar to help find a solution to the crisis in Egypt.
Receiving Prince Saud, French President Francois Hollande invoked the “duty” of countries that have “a relationship of trust and friendship (with Egypt) to end the violence” so that political dialogue can begin.
In Cairo, the interim cabinet discussed the bloody confrontation, with liberal Deputy Prime Minister Ziad Bahaa El Din advocating an end to a state of emergency declared last week, political participation for all parties and guarantees of human rights, including the right to free assembly.
But his initiative seemed at odds with the stance of Prime Minister Hazem El Beblawi, who has suggested outlawing the 85-year-old Brotherhood, which would force it underground.
The meeting lasted about four hours, but ended with no immediate announcement of any major decision.
Ahmed Al Tayeb, leader of Al Azhar, Egypt’s supreme state Islamic institution, called for respect for mosques and churches after reports of attacks blamed on the Brotherhood.
He also called for “all Egyptians to take part in reconciliation.”
Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy , meanwhile, insisted the interim government had not abandoned the path to democracy amid a deadly crackdown on opponents. Fahmy told German news weekly Der Spiegel that military leaders were unlikely to extend a month-long nationwide state of emergency imposed last week. “I assure our friends that we are maintaining our road map to democracy.” Thirty-six Islamist prisoners were killed yesterday during an attempted jailbreak, bringing to almost 800 the toll in five days of violence. AGENCIES
