- Title: EGYPT: EU's Ashton says Libya violence 'unacceptable'
- Date: 23rd February 2011
- Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT: (FEBRUARY 22, 2011) (REUTERS) VIEW OF TAHRIR SQUARE HIGH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY, CATHERINE ASHTON, ARRIVING WITH ENTOURAGE MORE OF PEOPLE AND TRAFFIC IN SQUARE ASHTON TOURING SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN UNION HIGH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY, CATHERINE ASHTON, SAYING: "Look, it's very clear, we need to see the violence stop, there needs to be a dialogue. It's a message that we would send to all places where violence erupts in this way. It has to stop, you have to find the best way to support the people and to move forward. And I really do hope that we won't see repeats of the terrible scenes that we've certainly heard about, if not seen, over the course of the coming hours, and we're watching very carefully for this. Not least those countries who are very close to Libya geographically, who are concerned too, and for EU citizens who are there at the present time - coordination going on to make sure they're safe and to consider plans to get them out if necessary." VIEW OF TAHRIR SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN UNION HIGH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY, CATHERINE ASHTON, SAYING: "Well the first thing you have to do is to make it clear that it's unacceptable, and to work with your collaborators across the world to say the same thing. The second thing is to make sure that the people that you're responsible for are safe. The third thing is to then consider what more can be done in the short and the longer term. And to ask the Libyan authorities to respect the need to remain calm, to get some restraint into the system and to be able to ensure that people's lives are not put at risk. But in the longer term, you know, as we say everywhere, it's for people in these countries to be able to feel that they have a say in their own future, a say in their own destiny, but to do that in a peaceful manner, and being here in Egypt is a very good example of how that can be done." VENDORS SELLING EGYPTIAN FLAGS AND BADGES IN SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN UNION HIGH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY, CATHERINE ASHTON, SAYING: "Tomorrow in Brussels officials will come from all over the world who we've been talking to, to again look at what we can do in support of Egypt and in a sense to tailor make the programs to look at what sort of support institutions can give. European Investment Bank were already discussing the capacity to give an extra billion euros (1.6 billion U.S. dollars) in extra support through their funding programs." ASHTON GETTING INTO CAR
- Embargoed: 10th March 2011 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Egypt, Egypt
- Country: Egypt
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVACERX66A2W9YB4ZECWHOKXDN4F
- Story Text: European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton calls violence in Libya 'unacceptable' and says the EU is looking into an extra of one billion euros in aid to Egypt.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton called the ongoing violence in Libya that has killed hundreds of anti-government protesters 'unacceptable', and said that a dialogue must begin.
Ashton was in Cairo on Tuesday (February 22) to offer international aid to help Egypt's military rulers get the country back to work and to secure a peaceful, swift and orderly transition of power.
She met with representatives of the new Egyptian government and Arab League officials, visited Tahrir square where most of the protests in Cairo where held and which became the symbol of the Egyptian uprising.
During the tour she called on the Libyan regime to exercise restraint and to end the violence.
"It's very clear, we need to see the violence stop, there needs to be a dialogue. It's a message that we would send to all places where violence erupts in this way. It has to stop, you have to find the best way to support the people and to move forward. And I really do hope that we won't see repeats of the terrible scenes that we've certainly heard about, if not seen, over the course of the coming hours, and we're watching very carefully for this. Not least those countries who are very close to Libya geographically, who are concerned too, and for EU citizens who are there at the present time - coordination going on to make sure they're safe and to consider plans to get them out if necessary," she said.
Libyan security forces have cracked down fiercely on anti-government demonstrators, reportedly using fighter jets and artillery, with fighting now spreading to the capital Tripoli after erupting in Libya's oil-producing east last week.
"The first thing you have to do is to make it clear that it's unacceptable, and to work with your collaborators across the world to say the same thing. The second thing is to make sure that the people that you're responsible for are safe. The third thing is to then consider what can be done in the short and the longer term. And to ask the Libyan authorities to respect the need to remain calm, to get some restraint into the system and to be able to ensure that people's lives are not put at risk. But in the longer term, you know, as we say everywhere, it's for people in these countries to be able to feel that they have a say in their own future, that they have a say in their own destiny, but to do that in a peaceful manner, and being here in Egypt is a very good example of how that can be done," Ashton said.
The EU foreign policy chief also said that the EU was planning to increase the financial aid to the Egyptian government in a bid to secure the country's transition into a democracy.
"Tomorrow in Brussels officials will come from all over the world who we've been talking to, to again look at what we can do in support of Egypt and in a sense to tailor make the programs to look at what sort of support institutions can give. European Investment Bank were already discussing the capacity to give an extra billion euros (1.6 billion U.S. dollars) in extra support through their funding programs," she added.
After her meeting at the Arab League Ashton is scheduled to meet with Egyptian opposition groups and protesters who took part in the uprising.
Egypt's Hosni Mubarak was toppled on Feb. 11 after mass protests, and the country is now being governed by a military council. His ousting followed the fall of Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. Both were close allies of the West.
The trip by Ashton follows a visit to Egypt on Monday (February 21) by British Prime Minister David Cameron, the first by a foreign leader since Mubarak quit. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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