Egyptian presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei met on Monday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow to discuss the political situation in Egypt nearly five months after the toppling of former President Hosni Mubarak on 11 February, Russian media reported.
“Moscow hails Cairo’s efforts to stabilize the situation in Egypt,” Lavrov was quoted as saying by the Moscow-based news website The Voice of Russia.
The Russian diplomat, according to the website, also called for “the Egyptian impasse to be resolved by peaceful means and through full-blown national dialogue.”
Pro-ElBaradei Egyptian newspaper Al-Dostour suggested on Monday that the former IAEA head’s visit to Moscow was a positive step from Russia’s leadership and suggested its willingness to engage with Egyptian democratic forces.
Al-Dostour cited anonymous Russian observers as saying that receiving ElBaradei in Moscow “might correct the perception held by some wings within the Russian ruling elite that Egypt’s revolution was planned in Washington.”
The 68-year-old Egyptian former diplomat is known for his critical stance towards Washington’s Middle East policy, and has long called for an independent Egyptian foreign policy.
