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Clinton urges Egypt to begin ’serious’ negotiations

04 February 2011 04:38 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday urged Egypt to immediately start negotiations for an orderly transition of power, APA reports quoting Earth TImes.
The dialogue should include all aspects of Egyptian society that "yields concrete change," she said.
Egypt must immediately begin "serious negotiations on a peaceful and orderly transition," Clinton said, with Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak poised to leave office following a week of mass protests, ending his 30-year rule.
Clinton condemned "in the strongest terms" attacks on foreign reporters in the country. She said the assault on journalistic freedom is a violation of international norms and "unacceptable under any circumstances."
Cairo has seen two days of violent unrest as Mubarak backers clashed with anti-government demonstrators. There have been reports widespread reports of journalists being detained or targeted for violence.
State Department spokesman PJ Crowley has characterized it as an attempt to intimidate the free press.
"There are strong indications that this is part of a concerted effort," he said. "I can’t tell you who is directing it. But with the increasing number of instances of people roughed up, journalists’ cars attacked, offices broken into, journalists detained, these do not seem to be random events."
Mubarak has said he will step down in September at the end of his current term, but with the protests showing now since of dying down, questions have been raised on whether he will be able to retain power that long.