Maher: Our democracy does not need recognition

The Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Maher has considered that Egypt was the first in advocating democracy and proceeding into it in the Middle East, stressing that Egypt does not need a recognition of its role from anyone. The words of the Egyptian minister came in comment on the speech delivered by the US President George W. Bush he had delivered on Thursday on the promotion of Democracy by the US as a new emphasis of US policy in the Middle East.

Maher said following his meeting with the American ambassador to Egypt David Welsh that he does not "find a reason for the negative reading of the statement of the American President." Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher described US President Bush's latest speech on democracy in the Middle East as "positive."

In statements following his meeting with the US Ambassador to Egypt, Maher said Bush's speech was a call for democracy and it admitted Egypt's leading role in this respect.

Egypt is not in bad need of a recognition by any party of its pro-democracy achievements, said Maher, adding that it was useful and imprudent for Washington to apprehend Egypt's role both in the peace process and in building democracy.