More than one hundred diplomats have signed a statement in which they declared their support for the "legitimate demands of the Egyptian people," referring to protests against President Mohamed Morsy.
The 129 diplomats who signed the statement said: "At this historic moment…the Egyptian diplomats who signed this statement declare their full support for the legitimate demands of our people who have emphasized in their massive protests in all of the streets and squares of Egypt that they insist on the principles of the 25 January revolution."
The signatories said they are on the side of the people whom they feel honoured to represent, adding that Egyptians are continuing their struggle which has been ongoing for thousands of years.
The diplomats called for the demands of the people, including holding early presidential elections, to be met so as to avoid further bloodshed.
Mohamed al-Orabi, former foreign minister and one of the signatories to the statement, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the Egyptian Foreign Ministry is a patriotic institution that works on the frontline for the interests of the Egyptian people. The patriotism of Foreign Ministry officials is not subject to skepticism, he added.
Several diplomats support the statement but have not signed due to differences or scheduling problems, but more signatures are coming in, Orabi claimed.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
