EU ambassador to Egypt, James Moran, said in a news conference on Sunday that the European Union was not attacking Egypt but wanted to see it succeed.
Moran also said the resolution about Egypt that was passed by the European Parliament, which raised objections in Egyptian circles, was viewed by some as "positive" for welcoming certain articles of the constitution on human rights but also raised concerns about other events taking place in Egypt.
“Pointing to the situation in Egypt does not mean attacking Egypt,” he said. “You all know that we cooperate with Egypt and offer all support for prosperity and stability.”
The European Parliament had called on the political and security forces in Egypt to exercise restraint and avoid violence and had pointed to the prosecution of journalists. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry objected to the European Parliament's calls and said that the ministry considered them “unacceptable interference in Egyptian internal affairs.”
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Badr Abdel Atty said the European Parliament's resolutioned contained paragraphs that were rejected in form and substance as they dealt with issues still under consideration in the Egyptian courts, such as the referral of a number of journalists to criminal courts.
“No internal or external party may comment on issues being addressed by the independent Egyptian judiciary,” he said.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
