(AFP Photo)
By Kanzy Mahmoud
Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy discussed on Monday transitional plans on CBC news channel, as well as Egypt’s relations with the international community, specifically the United States, while condemning former President Mohamed Morsi’s mistakes in power.
Fahmy said after previously rejecting the position of foreign minister three times, he had to accept it during this “critical period as it was a national responsibility.”
Part of his responsibility is to support the “goals of 25 January and 30 June revolutions,” he said, by first “correcting the image” of Morsi’s ouster, which he called “an exceptional but necessary military interference,” since the military “had to respond to the people’s demands when the president refused to.”
The second step in supporting the revolution, he said, is to transparently announce the foreign ministry’s decisions and plans for the coming period to the public, stressing that no political faction or movement, including the Islamist current, will be excluded from participating in the transitional period. “As minister of foreign affairs, I will defend any Islamist subjected to any trouble abroad,” he added.
Another goal on Fahmy’s agenda is to immediately seek economic aid from international organisations and governments.
One of the foreign ministry’s achievements was creating a taskforce responsible for liaising between the foreign ministry and other state institutions, said Fahmy. He added that the ministry is currently cooperating with Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei, “who adds to the role of the foreign ministry.”
When asked about the US stance on events in Egypt, Fahmy said the US is afraid of any type of military interference as they believe it to be a threat to democracy. “However,” he said, “Morsi was elected democratically but he didn’t rule democratically.”
US Secretary of State John Kerry called Fahmy Monday to discuss the situation in Egypt and the clashes that took place in Tahrir Square, where attacks were allegedly planned on the US Embassy. Fahmy reassured Kerry that the military would be able to contain the situation and prevent further militants from attacking the square or the embassy.
When asked about the whereabouts of former president Morsi, Fahmy said he was detained in a safe place and that he has not been “officially charged with anything particular.”
Other topics discussed between Kerry and Fahmy were “avoiding exclusion of Islamic current in Egypt, Fahmy’s anticipation of the organisation of a national reconciliation committee in the coming two days, the peace talks between Palestine and Israel and the US support for the democratic process in Egypt.”
Fahmy told CBC that the foreign ministry is in continuous contact with the US, be it with the administration, Congress “or research centres.”
In his editorial to The Washington Times, Fahmy asked the Muslim Brotherhood to refrain from violence, adding that “if the Brotherhood decides to play the spoiler, the result will be not be spiraling violence for Egypt, but political suicide for their movement.”
He ended his editorial saying that he is not worried about Egypt’s future, as he is sure that the people will never allow authoritarianism to rule the country again.
Fahmy, former Egyptian ambassador to the US, assumed office as foreign minister on 16 July.
