Foreign Affairs Minister Nabil Fahmy said he expects Arab countries, which have signed an agreement to fight terrorism, to adhere to Egypt's decision declaring the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group.
In an interview with Algerian newspaper Al-Shorouq, published on Sunday, Fahmy said that Egypt has notified Arab countries of its decision, and expects these countries to adhere to the agreement.
Fahmy, who is visiting Algeria at the invitation of his Algerian counterpart, Ramtane Lamamra, denied any outside interference in what is happening in his country. "In Egypt we seek to build a modern democratic state that respects different opinions. Therefore, I do not question the right of any party to express an opinion in principle," he said.
"The transitional government in Egypt came in response to a popular demand, and to implement the road map, which saw participations and was adopted by different trends of society, after millions of Egyptians protested into public squares, calling for early presidential elections, expressing their rejection of the attempt to impose a single ideology on Egyptian society."
Fahmy noted that the next step in the roadmap is the referendum on the draft constitution, scheduled to be held on 14 and 15 January, followed by parliamentary and presidential elections.
He assured that the government's only reference is the Egyptian people, and that this government conducts its work in accordance with the Egyptian laws.
Fahmy described his visit to Algeria as, "a constructive work visit with a sister state," aiming to discuss international, regional and bilateral issues, such as the restructuring of the international system, the peace process in the Middle East, the situation in Syria and the border with Libya, in addition to bilateral economic and social relations between the two countries.
He noted that he will explain to the "brothers in Algeria" the situation in Egypt. "I will listen to their experiences as they listened to our experiences in the past. We, as well as they, have also been subjected to violence and terrorism," Fahmy stated.
On the other hand, Fahmy said that "the African Union rushed into its decision to freeze Egypt's participation in its meetings." He expressed his hope that the Peace and Security Council of the African Union reconsiders its decision as soon as possible, because it is an unnatural position for both Egypt and the African Union."
Edited translation from DPA
