Egypt and Tunisia agree on the importance of supporting the Syrian people until they gain their freedom, however both countries are against any foreign military intervention, the newly-elected Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi said on Friday.
Mursi made the comments at a joint press conference with the Tunisian President Moncef al-Marzouki in Cairo, aired by the Egyptian state TV.
Meanwhile, Marzouki stressed the importance of seeking diplomatic solutions in Syria.
Tunisia was the first flower that blossomed in the Arab Spring, Mursi said, adding that Egypt does not interfere in the internal affairs of any country.
When asked about Egypt’s stand from the Palestinian reconciliation efforts, Mursi underlined that Egypt “stands on the same distance from all Palestinian factions.”
He did not say whether his government will ease border restrictions with Gaza, which Israel and Egypt partly blockaded after Hamas violently routed Fatah from the enclave in 2007.
Marzouki said he was “happy to see that the new Egypt will open its heart and borders to our brothers, especially in Gaza.”
In campaign speeches, Mursi supported the Palestinians’’ “right to resistance” and their demand that refugees return to homes lost during the 1948 war that uprooted most Palestinians in Israel.
Since his election, he has adopted a more subdued tone, stressing that his government would respect Egypt’s 1979 peace treaty with Israel.
Marzouki pointed out that there is total agreement between Egypt and Tunisia regarding the importance of reaching a Palestinian reconciliation.
The Tunisian President said that the era during which Tunisia used to turn its back to Egypt, and vice versa, is gone.
“What is currently bringing the two countries together is bigger and stronger. Both peoples have hopes in their current governments and regimes,” he said pointing out that the Arab revolutions are heading towards more cooperation.
“What is more important now is that the barriers between the Arab peoples have fallen completely,” said Marzouki.
Alarabiya
