Clinton meets Egyptian Foreign Minister

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton affirmed after a meeting here last night with the Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr US "very strong support for Egypt''s ongoing democratic transition". In a joint press conference Clinton said, "It is clear that Egypt''s leadership in the Arab world and in the region and beyond is key to regional progress. And I was very pleased that Egypt has recognized the Transitional National Council in Libya. I think there is a lot of opportunity for cross-border cooperation. I was also very pleased that the minister has reiterated Egypt''s support for the Camp David Accords, which is essential for stability and, of course, essential for Egypt''s growth, prosperity, and peaceful transition". "We discussed a number of our joint priorities, and I''d like to recognize the work of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which has been an institution of stability and continuity. The Egyptian people look to the Supreme Council to support the transition and to ensure that the elections go in a very positive way that provides transparency, freedom, and fairness". "And we fully support the Egyptian people in their journey. We are looking forward to the parliamentary elections this fall, the upper house in parliament, the presidential elections to follow. But we''re well aware, having been working at our own democracy for over 230 years, that this takes time. This takes persistence and patience, and it''s often hard to have the latter in a time when there''s so much pent-up demand and hope for a better future. So we look to being a strong partner for the Egyptian people," She said. Clinton further said that her government "looking to implement, through the Congress, the $1 billion debt swap that President Obama announced in May. Rather than making interest payments on a debt, the Egyptian people can invest that money into new projects that create jobs and give them a better standard of living". The US will be focused on trade, investment, on the new Middle East Trade and Investment Partnership, to help Egypt gain even greater access to global markets, Clinton said. "The Enterprise Fund that we are seeking to establish, the ongoing work of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, are all intended to provide support for what Egyptians themselves are doing". For his part , Foreign Minister Amr said, "I have discussed with the Secretary a number of issues of mutual interest. Of course, bilateral issues were paramount in our discussion, but we also touched upon regional issues. Of course, the Palestinian issue came up, and I think we believe that negotiations should resume as soon as possible between Israelis and Palestinians with clear terms of reference and with a clearly defined timeline. Israeli illegal settlement activities continue to be an impediment in the road for peace, and we would like to see them stop. Our region is going through deep change and delicate times. Egypt and the United States will need to continue to work hand in hand in order to ensure that our peoples benefit from the opportunities that these changes bring". "Egypt now is in the middle of a transitional period. During this period, we look forward to the solidarity and goodwill of all our partners. It is our expectation that our friends in the United States will demonstrate their commitment, as usual, to this partnership, and I am pleased to say that I have heard from the Secretary such a commitment explicitly today" Amr said.