UAE denounces terrorist acts in Egypt

Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said Wednesday that his country denounces acts of terror against Egyptian police and people, local news agency WAM reported. Speaking at a joint press conference in Abu Dhabi with Germany' s outgoing Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle who wrapped up his two-day visit to the UAE, Sheikh Abdullah said "we denounce any act of terrorism against Egyptian police, army and people." He added that Egypt was "very important to the region," referring to its "political and religious weight," noting that " all political forces in Egypt should join hands together for the stability of the country." The minister also urged the international community to help Egypt get out of the current situation. Earlier in June, the Egyptian military ousted Islamic president Mohamed Morsi, and set up by an interim government under Adly Mansour, the first judge of the country's constitutional court. Since then, the country has been witnessing sporadic attacks on police stations and army posts in major cities and on the Sinai peninsula amid ongoing protests. On Oct. 28, the UAE pledged to invest 4.9 billion U.S. dollars in projects in Egypt to help ease urgent medical shortage and revive the economy. Meanwhile, a proposed IMF-loan worth 4.8 billion dollars for Egypt has been subject of negotiations since 2011 but several rounds of talks between the IMF and Cairo ended fruitless. IMF director Middle East and Central Asia Masood Ahmed said Tuesday here in Dubai that the IMF was ready to provide technical assistance and loans to Egypt but specific programs to revive the economy must come from the countries themselves.