Vice-President Mohamed ElBaradei met on Thursday with the German Foreign Minister, Guido Pfister Welle, who is currently visiting Cairo to learn about the political situation and Egyptian efforts to end the current crisis.
“What happened in Egypt was a popular revolution,” ElBaradei told Welle, explaining that when millions of people protest against the head of state in any democratic regime, this is enough to bring about the desired change, and push the president out of the picture. “We are past the discussion stage on this topic,” he said.
ElBaradei stressed that it is important to make efforts to resolve the current crisis without bloodshed and to preserve the lives and security of citizens of all affiliations. He noted, on the other hand, that it is the state's right to defend its citizens against any intimidation or threat to their security.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
