Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on the political situation in Egypt.
I receive reports from a variety of sources, including our Embassy in Cairo which engages with a cross-section of Egyptian society. I visited Cairo in August and October this year and discussed the political situation with Government Ministers, political leaders, human rights defenders and civil society. Since January 2014, Egypt has held a constitutional referendum; elected a new President, Abdel Fattah Al Sisi; and is reportedly preparing for parliamentary elections before the end of the year.
We believe that a genuinely open political process, in which all political groups are able to participate, will lead to long-term political stability in Egypt. We look to President Al Sisi to take steps to implement the rights contained in Egypt’s constitution; in particular, ensuring freedom of expression and association as well as ensuring that human and legal rights are fully upheld.