Brussels, 11/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 11 July, the EU called for the “restoration of a civilian democratically elected government”, said the spokesperson for High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton. In the EU's opinion, the timetable presented on 9 July by the interim presidency in Egypt is “a step in the right direction”. “A substantive and inclusive dialogue of all political forces is the only way forward, including the implementation of the present timetable”, Ashton's spokesperson said. During the evening of 10 July, Ashton had a phone conversation with the Egyptian interim president, Adly Mansour. She underlined the need for an “inclusive approach and democratic process”, and reiterated that the EU is “committed to helping Egypt on a path to deep democracy”, Ashton's spokesperson stated.
In the view of S&D Group leader, Hannes Swoboda (Austria), “the main task of the interim leadership is to guarantee that free and fair elections can take place as soon as possible, without any constraints, in order to transfer power to an elected civilian government”. Stating that the violence must stop immediately, Swoboda said that “the interim government must seek unifying discussions with all political players”. (CG/transl.fl)