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Middle East and North Africa

UN Security Council stresses the importance of ending violence in Egypt

The United Nations Security Council met behind the closed doors

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

UNITED NATIONS, August 16 (Itar-Tass) - Members of the United Nations Security Council agree on the need to end violence in Egypt and launch a national reconciliation process.

Argentina’s ambassador to the United Nations Maria Cristina Perceval who is presiding over the Security Council in August, told journalists after the Council’s emergency meeting that there was common understanding of the need to end violence and advance national reconciliation.

The United Nations Security Council met behind the closed doors. U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson briefed the Council on the recent events in Egypt. The meeting had been convened at the request of Australia, Britain and France.

The diplomats did not clarify whether the U.N. Security Council would take any steps after the meeting. The Russian and U.S. ambassadors refrained from any comments.

According to the Egyptian Health Ministry, more than 600 people were killed and over 4,000 were injured in clashes last Wednesday. The Egyptian authorities imposed a curfew in 14 provinces.

The U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki - moon has criticized the fresh outbreak of violence noting that it was not a response to the challenges which Egypt was facing.

There has been no reaction of the United Nations Security Council to the riots in Egypt as of yet.

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