Kerry urged Egyptian interim leaders to restore stability in their country, as he said that "gaps" between the Zionist entity and the Palestinians were "narrowed very significantly."
As he urged Egyptian interim leaders to restore stability in their country, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday at his intense diplomacy in six visits to the Middle East was bearing fruit, narrowing gaps between the Zionist entity and the Palestinians.
He told Arab League foreign ministers in Jordan that Egypt is facing an "extremely complex and difficult situation," following the ouster of president Mohammad Mursi by the army.
"Very clearly, order needs to be restored to the streets, stability needs to be restored, violence needs to be ended, rights need to be protected, jobs need to be created, and the country needs to be able to return to normal business, hopefully," he said.
Kerry pointed out that the Obama administration is not rushing to declare this a coup, an important legal distinction that would affect U.S. aid to Egypt.
He added that the United States wants to see everyone participate in a political transition to move the country forward on a democratic path without fear of retribution.
"We are concerned about political arrests, and we're concerned about the freedom of people to be able to participate because we think that's an important part of the restoration of the heart and soul of Egypt," Kerry said.
“Closer” in Mideast Talks
On the other hand, Kerry met in Jordan with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas late Tuesday and again on Wednesday as he also outlined his ideas to start direct negotiations to other top Arab officials and ministers.
The US envoy, who has made the resumption of the so-called Middle East peace talks after a three-year break a priority since he took office on February 1, said the goal was getting nearer.
"Through hard and deliberate, patient work, and most importantly through quiet work, we have been able to narrow those gaps very significantly," Kerry told reporters.
"We continue to get closer and I continue to be hopeful that the two sides will come to sit at the same table," he added, standing alongside his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh.
Kerry acknowledged that differences remained between the two sides, despite his dogged shuttle diplomacy which saw him hold hours of talks with both Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his visit last month.
"There are still some elements and some language that needs to be agreed upon and worked out. This is normal, and I'm not going to detail specifics," he said.
