German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle on Tuesday described the talks he held with Mohamed Morsy, chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), as encouraging.
The minister, who congratulated the FJP for its parliamentary victory in a meeting on Monday, said Morsy clearly stressed his belief in political pluralism and voiced commitment to the 1979 peace treaty signed with Israel. The minister, however, said his country judges its partners not only by their words but also by their actions.
Having won nearly 47 percent of seats in the elections that ended earlier in January, the FJP represents the largest bloc in the People’s Assembly, Egypt’s lower house. The more conservative, Salafi-oriented Nour Party represents the second largest bloc with around 25 percent of seats.
The German minister said Islamist democratic parties have won approval on a wide scale. However, he called on them to support the rule of law, democracy, pluralism, religious tolerance and peace. He said that claims of the incompatibility of Islam with democracy are unacceptable.
Westerwelle arrived to Egypt on Monday for a two-day visit, as part of a regional tour that includes Jordan, Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian territories. This visit is Westerwelle’s third to Egypt since the fall of former President Mubarak.
On Tuesday, Westerwelle met with Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, head of Egypt’s ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), who, according to sources close to the discussions, assured the minister of his commitment to democracy.
