CAIRO – Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton used her first meeting with Egypt’s new Islamist president to press Mohammed Morsi to start a dialogue with military leaders as a way of preserving the country’s transition to democracy.
Clinton voiced support for the “full transition” to civilian rule at a time when Morsi’s backers are in a political standoff with the generals who have ruled since President Hosni Mubarak was ousted last year.
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Resolving the impasse “requires dialogue and compromise, real politics,” Clinton said. She said the United State is doing all it can to “support the democratically elected government and to help make it a success in delivering results for the people of Egypt.”
The meeting at the presidential palace kicked off a series of high-level sessions aimed at stabilizing Egypt’s fledgling democracy and its increasingly shaky alliance with the United States.
“Things change (at) kind of warp speed,” Clinton told Morsi as they began their meeting.
Clinton and Morsi didn’t shake hands, at least when they first appeared before reporters — a subject of much speculation because of Morsi’s Muslim faith. But the president shook hands with Clinton and the entire U.S. delegation behind closed doors, according to a U.S. official.
The president, speaking in English, said, “We are very, very keen to meet you and happy that you are here.” Clinton and Morsi were seated perpendicular to one another, the American on a sofa and the Egyptian on a chair.
Morsi is in a showdown with the generals since at least ceremonially gaining power on June 30. Right before his inauguration, the generals stripped him of many powers and kept them for themselves.
That move followed a decision last month by Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court to dissolve the Islamist-dominated parliament, the first democratically elected, after ruling that a third of its members were elected illegally. Morsi has issued a decree to bring the lawmakers, many of whom are his allies in the Muslim Brotherhood, back into session.
The United States has been careful not to take sides, focusing on principles instead of personalities and parties. The Obama administration has called on all sides to negotiate a path forward that remains faithful to the ideals of Egypt’s 2011 revolution.
Appearing at a news conference alongside Foreign Minister Mohamed Amr, Clinton said it was up to Egyptians to determine their future. But she stressed American financial and political support for Egypt’s new government. She was careful, however, to also praise Egypt’s military council for its interim leadership.
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