Video: Clinton with Egyptian President

Here is a brief video of Secretary Clinton and President Mubarak’s chatting prior to their meeting yesterday- there is no press Q&A in this video.

Also see my post from yesterday about Secretary Clinton’s meeting with President Hosni Mubarak.

Prior to Mubarak’s visit, some raised concerns about Egypt’s human rights issues and the administration was being called upon to address this in any meetings with the Egyptian President. Apparently, Secretary Clinton raised the issue in her meeting with him:

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday raised human rights concerns with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, whose ties with the previous US administration were soured by the issue, a spokesman said.

Clinton talked for an hour with Mubarak on the eve of his meeting with President Barack Obama, the veteran Egyptian leader’s first White House summit in five years.

Clinton spoke with Mubarak about the Middle East peace process, Iran and other regional issues and also brought up human rights, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said.

“It is something that we raise in every high-level meeting that we have,” Crowley told reporters.

“We would like to see Egypt embark on a path to expand political dialogue in the country, expand political participation in the Egyptian political process. And we will continue to raise these issues with Egypt,” he said.

Mubarak had tense relations with previous US president George W. Bush, who pushed him to release dissidents and hold free elections.

Well-known Egyptian dissident Ayman Nour, who was imprisoned for three years, earlier told AFP in Cairo he was concerned that Obama was setting back the promotion of human rights in the country….

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