FED:Govt 'doing its best' for Aussies in Egypt

AAP General News (Australia)
02-01-2011
FED:Govt 'doing its best' for Aussies in Egypt

MELBOURNE, Jan 31 AAP - The federal government is doing everything it can to help Australians
on the ground in Egypt, Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd says.

The government has chartered a Qantas 747 to evacuate Australians from Cairo as deadly
anti-government protests rage into a second week.

Mr Rudd defended the Australian government's response to the crisis amid criticism
on talkback radio that Australians on the ground have had trouble getting assistance from
the embassy in Cairo.

He said there would always be some criticisms in these situations but said the Australian
embassy had faced operational challenges with Egyptian authorities shutting down mobile
phone and internet services.

"The government is doing all it physically can on the ground to deal with the safety
of Australians," Mr Rudd told ABC television on Monday night.

"It has, from the beginning of this crisis in Egypt, been the government's number one priority."

Given the difficulties in contacting the embassy in Cairo, Australians in Egypt seeking
information should call the DFAT emergency consular centre in Canberra (on +61 2 6261
3305), where 60 staff were providing a 24-hour service, Mr Rudd said.

He said the government had also increased its consular and defence support staff within
Cairo by about 20 times.

About 1100 Australians are registered with the embassy in Cairo, but Mr Rudd said several
thousand more are believed to be in the country.

Embattled Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak embarked on a significant government reshuffle
on Saturday, although demonstrators fighting against his 30-year rule have dismissed the
move as too little, too late.

Mr Rudd said it was too difficult to predict how the political scenario would unfold in Egypt.

He said the Egyptian government must heed international calls to exercise restraint,
handle peaceful protests by peaceful means and to implement a far-reaching democratic
reform process.

AAP mn/rs

KEYWORD: EGYPT AUST RUDD

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