Egyptian FM: Violence not acceptable in any circumstances

Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammad Kamel Amr underlined that violence is not acceptable in any circumstances, and that peaceful demonstrations are welcomed and they are actually being protected. In an exclusive interview with the (CNN) last night, the Egyptian Foreign Minister said that what has been portrayed as an act of aggression against peaceful demonstration over the part 24 hours is not what really happened. "I don't believe that the military personnel opened fire on peaceful demonstrators," the minister underlined. "If you look a very objective, you see a view of what happened, you'll see that there were soldiers who were entrusted to protect a very vital military installation. These are not crowd control soldiers. These are soldiers that you see are entrusted with a military, with a military duty," the Foreign Minister said. "And, actually, there were some attempts over the past 48 hours to intimidate those soldiers and it was on live television, actually. Their commanders were very patient. They were very friendly towards protesters. They asked them to just to pull back a bit and they ordered the soldiers to point their weapons to the sky and they said, and I am quoting, 'Don't ever point your weapons at demonstrators'," he added. Asked about ousted President Mohammad Morsi, the Foreign Minister said that he is not free to go around, but he is treated very well. That this is also for his own safety. "I don't know exactly where is he. But what I know that he's being treated very well," he noted. Concerning his contacts with US Secretary of State John Kerry, the Egyptian Foreign Minister said that the United States is saying what everybody is saying and what we are, ourselves, want to do. "We want to move ahead with an inclusive political process. And nobody would be excluded. We should move very quickly within a very clear time frame." "And, actually, this is what happened yesterday, when we have this constitution, a declaration, which has set the steps that going forward in very definite time frame. Between now and having a presidential election, there is a maximum of six to seven months. It is very clear. And I think this is where everybody wants to see Egypt going," the minister added.