Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi can’t possibly be satisfied with the results of his visit to Berlin on Wednesday. Despite his efforts to present himself as a moderate, he is not likely to receive much in the form of immediate aid, Spiegel reported.
In talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel and at a press conference, Morsi outlined a future for Egypt as a democratic country based on a separation of church and state, championing pluralism and religious freedom.
But Merkel did not respond as Morsi had expected, and would not, for instance forgive Egypt’s debt $324 million. Nor was any mention made of any new development aid projects to be launched by Germany in Egypt. Instead, Merkel offered advice.
“What matters now is that the work that needs be done, gets done,” she said. As to the fact that Egypt is in flames at the moment, with anti-government forces clashing daily with police and army, the chancellor told Morsi that sturdy economic development is what contributes to political stability.
Good luck, Mr. Morsi, in all your future endeavors…