“Egypten har under Hosni Mubaraks ledelse spillet en hovedrolle i bestræbelserne på at skabe fred mellem Palæstina og Israel.”
“Det skal huskes, lige meget hvordan den aktuelle krise slutter”, sagde FNs generalsekretær Ban Ki-moon ved et pressemøde tirsdag.
NEW YORK, 8 February 2011: “The President Mubarak himself, has been playing a key role in this process,” he told reporters after briefing the Security Council on his recent participation in a high-level meeting in Munich to further the Middle East peace process.
“The very strategic role which Egypt has been playing in the overall Middle East peace process should also be preserved. That is why I am asking that all this transition should be orderly and peaceful so that there should not be any negative sudden impact.”
In Munich, Ban attended a high-level meeting of the Quartet, comprising the UN, European Union (EU) Russia and the United States, which seeks a two-State solution to the Middle East conflict based on Israel and Palestine living side by side as sovereign nations in peace and security.
“While the Quartet did not discuss Egypt in detail, we are all conscious that it remains a crucial partner for both the Palestinian Authority and for Israel, and for the peace process,” he stressed.
Ban later briefed Arab League ambassadors on the situation in Egypt, which has been shaken by almost three weeks of mass anti-Government protests, the Secretary-General reiterated his call to all parties to avoid violence and ensure freedom of expression and information.
“The Egyptian people are clearly frustrated, and are calling for bold reforms. It is incumbent on the Egyptian leadership – and that of any other country in the world – to listen attentively to the legitimate concerns and aspirations of their people,” he said.
“An orderly and peaceful transition is crucial. I hope that a genuine dialogue between the leaders and the people will lead to the beginning of such a process.
The details of that process – and indeed the future course of their country – are entirely for the Egyptian people to define. The United Nations stands ready to provide any assistance.”
