WASHINGTON/LONDON: Here is some reaction from around the world on Hosni Mubarak’s ouster.
UNITED STATES: US Vice-President Joe Biden said the change of power in Egypt was a ‘pivotal’ moment in history for that country and the Middle East. The transition in Egypt must be one of irreversible change, he said.
RUSSIA: Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed hope for stability in Egypt and said, “We hope that the latest events will help the restoration of stability and ensuring the normal functioning of all the structures of the authorities,” Lavrov was quoted as saying.
Lavrov expressed hope that not only the structures of the current government but also opposition forces would show readiness to
stabilise the situation.”
He said the latest news was the result of ‘the process which was being carried out between the country’s main political forces’.
EUROPEAN UNION: “The EU respects President Mubarak’s decision today. By standing down, he has listened to the voices of the Egyptian people and has opened the way to faster and deeper reforms,” EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton said.
“It is important now that the dialogue is accelerated leading to a broad-based government which will respect the aspirations of, and deliver stability for, the Egyptian people.”
“The future of Egypt rightly remains in the hands of the Egyptian people. The EU stands ready to help in any way it can.”
UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for a ‘transparent, orderly and peaceful transition’.
In a statement, Ban said he wanted to see ‘free, fair and credible’ elections in Egypt that would lead to early establishment of civilian rule.
ISRAEL: “It’s too early to foresee how (the resignation) will affect things,” a senior Israeli official said. “We hope that the change to democracy in Egypt will happen without violence and that the peace accord will remain.”
GAZA: “The resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is the beginning of the victory of the Egyptian revolution,” said Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri.
“Such a victory was the result of the sacrifices and the steadfastness of the Egyptian people,” he said.
“We call upon the new Egyptian leadership to take an immediate decision to lift the blockade of Gaza and open Rafah (border) crossing permanently to allow people’s free movement and in order for the reconstruction process of Gaza to begin,” Abu Zuhri said.
BRITAIN: “Egypt now has a really precious moment of opportunity to have a government that can bring the country together. As a friend of Egypt and the Egyptian people, we stand ready to help in any way we can,” said British Prime Minister David Cameron.
“We believe it must be a government that starts to put in place the building blocks of a truly open, free and democratic society,” he told BBC television.
“What has happened today should only be the first step. Those who now run Egypt have a duty to reflect the wishes of the Egyptian people, and in particular, there really must be a move to civilian and democratic rule as part of this important transition to an open, democratic and free Egypt,” he added.
GERMANY: “Today is a day of great joy,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel told a news conference. “We are all witness to an historic change. I share the joy of the people of Egypt, with the millions of people on the streets of Egypt.”
ARAB LEAGUE: “I look forward to the future to build a national consensus in the coming period.
There is a big chance now and a window has opened after this white revolution and after the president’s concession,” the Egyptian secretary-general of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, Al Arabiya television.
Asked if he was interested in being president, he said: “This is not the time to talk about that … As an Egyptian citizen, I am proud to serve my country with all the others at this stage, to build a consensus of opinion.”
QATAR: “This is a positive, important step towards the Egyptian people’s aspirations of achieving democracy and reform and a life of dignity,” said a statement from the Emir’s royal
council said.
France: French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday saluted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s “courageous and necessary” decision to step down, and called for free and fair elections be held in the country.
“France pays homage to this courageous and necessary decision,” he said in a statement that called on the “new Egyptian authorities” to carry out reforms that will make Egypt a “free and pluralist society.”
“France calls on all Egyptians to continue their march towards liberty,” Sarkozy said, adding that he saluted the “historic moment that Egypt is going through.”
