Asia

Asia

Australia welcomes Egyptian president’s pledge not to seek reelection

02 February 2011 03:17 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Australian federal government on Wednesday welcomed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s announcement that that he will not run for reelection in September, APA reports quoting Xinhua News Agency.

President Mubarak, who has ruled Egypt for almost 30 years, appeared on live television late Tuesday, saying that he does not intend to renominate himself in the next presidential election.

The announcement came at the end of the eighth day of massive protest in Egypt.

According to Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith, Mubarak ’s indication that he is not proposing to stand again at the country’s September elections as president will make a contribution to the peaceful transition.

"A peaceful and stable Egypt is very important to peace and stability in the Middle East," Smith told Sky News on Wednesday, adding that there are no Australian military assets in Egypt.

Smith said he is confident Australia will maintain a strong relationship with Egypt.

Tuesday saw the largest protest in the popular movement to oust Mubarak’s regime with hundreds of thousands of people peacefully taking to the streets of Cairo and the other major cities of Egypt.

However, part of the protesters expressed anger and disappointment at the President’s announcement, saying that his plans do not go far enough, as the elections are not for another seven months.

Australia Associated Press reported that the U.S. has cautioned that although Mubarak’s pledge is "significant", it is not likely to be enough to satisfy protesters.