India has welcomed the decision of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step down “in deference to the wishes of the people of Egypt.”
In a statement from New York, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna welcomed the commitment of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to ensure a peaceful transition of power in a time-bound manner to establish an open, democratic framework of governance. “We are proud of our traditionally close relations with the people of Egypt and wish them peace, stability, and prosperity,” added Mr. Krishna.
India began backing the mass protests on February 2, terming them an “articulation of the aspirations of the Egyptian people for reform.”
“It is hoped that the current situation will be resolved in a peaceful manner, in the best interests of the people of Egypt. India wishes that Egypt, a fellow developing country with which it enjoys close and traditional ties, will continue to be a strong and stable nation, contributing to peace and prosperity in the region,” the Ministry of External Affairs had then said in a statement. The government came out with this stand after having been criticised by former diplomats and strategic analysts for its January 30 statement which merely observed that India was “closely following with concern” the developments in Egypt.
