Patrick Ventrell, director of the press office the US State Department, described the meeting between Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and President Mohamed Morsy as “very constructive,” at a press conference Monday.
During the daily press conference for the State Department, Ventrell said, "This is the first time that we have a senior American official meeting with the newly inaugurated President of Egypt, the first democratically elected civilian leader in Egypt’s history."
Asked about US concerns over the return of Egypt's parliament, Ventrell said: "Developments are unfolding quickly. We’re monitoring them closely and we’re in touch with Egypt’s leaders. These issues are for Egyptians to decide in a manner that respects democratic principles and the transition process, and is transparent and protects the rights of all Egyptians."
“You do know where we are in terms of wanting a full transition,” said Ventrell when asked about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s opinion on the reinstated Parliament. “And obviously, having a democratically elected president is one step, but having a democratically elected parliament that has the ability to make laws is also another part of that. I’m not going to prejudge how this is going to play out, but you know, broadly speaking, where we are on the Egyptian transition and what the broad principles are that we’re looking for.”
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
