• 11:47
  • Sunday ,18 April 2010
العربية

US denies Baradei meetings

By-the Egyptian Gazette

Home News

00:04

Sunday ,18 April 2010

US denies Baradei meetings

The US Department of State denied Saturday there were plans for a meeting between former chief of the UN nuclear watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei and any US official during the former's current visit to Washington.

"Neither have we information about a meeting with ElBaradei, nor he submitted any requests for meetings with any US officials," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters Saturday. 
   She added that there were no preparations for talks with Egyptian Nobel laureate, who returned to his home country last February to lead a reform campaign.
  ElBaradei travelled to Washington on Friday for several weeks stay to give a lecture at Harvard University about nuclear non-proliferation and is also expected to meet with the Egyptian community in Boston, according to his brother Ali.
    The full schedule of ElBaradei's US visit was not disclosed. However, it was learnt that he is expected to stay there until May 15.
    His calls for change in Egypt have led to an internet campaign to push him to run for president, an idea that is not going away. 
    ElBaradei has said that he would only consider a run if the constitution were changed. He says he will rather boycott next year's presidential election than take part in a system that he believes is designed only to preserve the status quo.