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FJP Chairman: Partnership With Europe is Crucial

In his meeting with European officials Tuesday at the party's headquarters in Cairo, Mohamed Morsi, chairman of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), stressed the importance of partnership with Europe in the areas of science and technology, as well as the need to increase investments in Egypt and increasing the volume of trade.

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In his meeting with European officials Tuesday at the party's headquarters in Cairo, Mohamed Morsi, chairman of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), stressed the importance of partnership with Europe in the areas of science and technology, as well as the need to increase investments in Egypt and increasing the volume of trade.

The European delegation included officials from the German Federal Parliament and the Italian Democratic Party, who discussed with FJP chairman a number of key political issues raised on the Egyptian and international arena .

Talking about the situation in Egypt, Morsi said that it's about time the Egyptians started building their future. "We have lived a long time opposing the Mubarak regime and struggling for freedom, democracy and allowing the will of the nation to prevail," he said.

Morsi pointed out that the nation is the source of authority and the state cannot function without a constitution. He also pointed out that women of the Brotherhood have had great presence in the previous elections and will continue to play a key role in the future.

Morsi stated that the Muslim Brotherhood is the largest political faction that nominated women in elections recently. He noted that women also play a huge role in politics, revealing that the FJP is now preparing to field women candidates in the upcoming elections.

On the financing of the party, Morsi explained that the party receives subscriptions from more than nine thousand founders, and the number of party members has been increasing day by day. He also pointed that the party will participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections competing for 45% to 50% of the total number of seats.

Concerning the German delegation's question about the means of the FJP to convince citizens to elect the candidates of the party, Morsi stated that the Muslim Brotherhood -being the vastest movement in Egypt supporting the basic demands of the people and the social leaver of the party- has been working for more than 80 years during different eras. He said that the group set up this party with its free will, which has a balance in society benefiting from political specialization while engaging in the competition for representing the people's power.

Regarding the events taking place in Tahrir Square at present, Morsi pointed out that the prime minister announced that there will be a reshuffle of ministers and the governors, and therefore, we must wait for the outcome of this change. In addition, Morsi stressed the need to hold public, rigorous and fast trials, as well as the need to meet the demands of the Egyptian people.

Morsi said that Egypt is experiencing a new phase after the revolution, and there is a need to build and restructure the political system through fair elections, a new constitution for the country, building a strong economy and strong external relations. He also pointed out that the state that everyone wants - including the FJP - is a civil state that respects the rule of law.

The chairman of the party reiterated that there is no candidate for this party in the upcoming presidential elections, in addition to not taking any decision to support any presidential candidate so far. He added that the party will decide whom to support at the due time and after studying the programs that the candidates will present.

The German Parliamentary Delegation consisted of Rainer Seitz, a member of the German Federal Parliament and Chairman of Foreign Relations in the Liberal Democratic Party; Park Curt, a member of the German Federal Parliament; Marina Schuster, member of the German Federal Parliament as well as the other members of the delegation accompanying them, which consisted of Oleic Veinikin Buch, Tim Klaus, Stephanie Mandine, Martin Bergaveldr, the Scientific Attaché in the German embassy in Cairo as well as Suleiman Badr, from the German Embassy. In addition, there was Ronald Meinardus, the Regional Director of Friedrich Naumann Foundation and Hani Abdel-Malak, the director of Egypt programs in Friedrich Naumann Foundation.

The Italian delegation included Pierre Luigi Bersati, Italian Democratic Party leader; and Ibo Istali, Secretary General of the Party Chairman as well as the accompanying delegation.