Obama And Egyptian President Discuss Democratic Reform

The prospect of democratic reform in Egypt was reportedly raised during Tuesday’s meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

“We have no inhibitions. We don’t have any reason to shy away from discussing such issues relating to the democratization process in Egypt,” said Mubarak spokesperson Ambassador Soliman Awaad during a press briefing following the talks.

While the Egyptian Ambassador stated that the country was committed to pursuing reform, he argued the validity of the popular interpretation of the shaky state of democracy in Egypt.

“Many people talk about reform as if it is something that can take place over night. Some others … get their information from biased sources,” Awaad stated.

The spokesperson pointed to international criticism raised over the detainment of three bloggers, stating that their arrests were justified for reasons including their use of violence and establishing websites attacking Islam and Christianity, a move that would allegedly fan sectarian flames.

The two presidents also discussed the need for a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“President Mubarak made it very clear to President Obama today that the peace process cannot afford another failure. The suffering and the plight of the Palestinians can not afford further delay,” Awaad said.

The ambassador characterized the relationship between the two leaders as “friendly” and “very positive”.