German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said in a joint statement: "We are watching with utmost concern the deteriorating situation in Egypt."
"The Egyptian people must be able to exercise freely their right to peaceful assembly, and enjoy the full protection of the security forces."Attacks against journalists were "completely unacceptable".
"We condemn all those who use or encourage violence, which will only aggravate the political crisis in Egypt."Only a quick and orderly transition to a broad-based government will make it possible to overcome the challenges Egypt is now facing."That transition process "must start now".
Published 03 February 2011, 10:01 IST