BERLIN, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- European leaders Sunday urged Egypt to show restraint as it weathers ongoing protests against the government of President Hosni Mubarak.
The European Union had not announced any common stance on the strife; however, the leaders of Britain, France and Germany issued their own statement urging Mubarak to avoid violence against demonstrators.
"We recognize the moderating role President Mubarak has played over many years in the Middle East," said the statement. "We now urge him to show the same moderation in addressing the current situation in Egypt."
The statement was issued by British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. It largely mirrored the responses coming out of the United States to the upheaval in a key Middle East nation.
The New York Times said the EU had admitted it was caught off-guard by the rapid political developments in Tunisia and Egypt. EU foreign ministers will meet Monday to discuss a unified response to rapidly changing events in the Middle East.
