Ambassador: I’d just like to say how really happy and privileged I am to be here today. I just had an opportunity to present a copy of my credentials to the Foreign Minister, which will allow me to begin my official mission here. I look forward to presenting to his Excellency the President at sometime in the future. I’m delighted to be here because of the respect that we have for Egypt, for the partnership that we have created over 30 years time. I have never had the privilege before of working in Egypt and I know of it from my travels throughout the region as “Umma Dunia” and I look forward to meeting Egyptians both in the government and in many, many sectors of a very vibrant society that you have and the business community, from the cultural and academic communities, from the press, from civil society. It is an incredibly diverse and rich culture that I am entering and it will take me many months – weeks, I’m sure – to only begin to learn a little bit about this important country that I’ve been assigned to. I look forward to, in the future, having a really productive dialogue with you and, as I said, I’m just at the very beginning of what I hope to be a very productive mission in Egypt, one that contributes and builds on the legacy of the past where we have, as I said, a very important partnership and friendship. A partnership with Egypt and friendship with Egyptians in many, many minds and I look forward to pursuing this as I spend my time here.

Q: What will be your first priority in Egypt?

Ambassador: My first priority, as I said, is the strengthening and building of our bilateral relationship that this based on mutual respect and our mutual interests in this region. And they are diverse. And I don’t think we have time today to go through all of them. But our common search for peace in this region, our common search for the development in the region. We could go on and on and I would look forward at some future time to going through the very long list of joint and common purposes…

Q: Are you optimistic with the next meeting in Sharm El Sheik?

Ambassador: I’m always optimistic because peace is so important and we know that the parties are very much engaged in this issue. Certainly, we’re very hopeful that there will be progress.

Q: Your Excellency, excuse me for this question, but you made some statements that was explained in Egypt as interfering in its internal affairs. You think these statements could affect negatively your work in Egypt?

Ambassador: I hope not. And I would suggest that people read my entire testimony because if you do, I think that you will see that it reflects enormous respect for Egypt, enormous appreciation for where we have worked together. It talks, of course, about broad area of our relationship. We have a very long term friendship with Egypt. We speak candidly with each other and, as I said, there is no interference in Egyptian internal affairs. That would be totally beyond my mission here. But we do speak frankly to each other.

Q: Do you think that the next visit of Mr. President Bush here could help you in your work?

Ambassador: I really can’t, I won’t speak to that. But I think that we have plenty to do in the days and weeks ahead and we’ll look forward to conversations at senior levels. Thank you, thank you…

Q: His visit is determined or not yet?

Ambassador: I don’t think there’s been an announcement.