Qatar, Spain condemn violence in Egypt

The State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Spain on Saturday reacted angrily to the deadly attacks against protesters in Egypt yesterday and early today. An official source at the Qatari Foreign Ministry denounced "the alarming events" and "the killing of protesters" in front of Egypt's memorial monument in the east Cairo neighborhood of Nasr City. He extended condolences to families of victims, calling on all parties in Egypt to "exercise restraint and use reason and wisdom in order to prevent the shedding of more Egyptian blood," according to a statement carried by QNA news agency. The Qatari official also urged the different factions to look for political understandings so as to return to the peaceful democratic transition path, which was launched by the January 25 Revolution. On a similar note, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation condemned the excessive use of force against protesters, saying that violence cannot solve the serious crisis in Egypt. The Ministry warned in a statement against manipulation of streets as fields of political confrontations. It voiced regret over the large number of casualties, advising all concerned parties to return to the negotiating table and engage in a constructive dialogue in order to deescalate tensions and resume the democratic process. The Ministry reiterated the call of European Union on July 22 for releasing the ousted president Mohamed Morsi and all political prisoners.