Tokyo, Japan – U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement regarding Egypt while on travel in Asia:
"The violent attacks in Egypt are tragic and this bloodshed is counterproductive to the aspirations of all the Egyptian people. A prosperous, thriving, and democratic Egypt is a nation that renounces violence and that respects the basic human rights of its citizens. I call on all parties immediately and unequivocally to demonstrate restraint and renounce violence. The Egyptian military has a duty to implement democratic reforms by pursuing democratic elections, and allowing for freedoms of speech and assembly. The mayhem in Egypt is undermining that path to democracy and this violence only harms the Egyptian military, dampens the democratic spirit of the Egyptian people, and further complicates the support of our government as well as the international community that wants a thriving Egypt to take hold. A day of violent attacks like we witnessed yesterday are tragedies that must never happen again."
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