Moscow, Feb 2 :
Russia warned against putting external pressure on the Egyptian leadership and people, saying the country has to decide itself on how to resolve the current political crisis.
''Egypt is our strategic partner and a key country in the West Asia region,'' Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during talks with his Lithuanian counterpart Audronius Azubalis in Moscow.
''That it why we are not indifferent to what is happening there and are interested in Egypt being a stable, prosperous and democratic state and want today's socio-economic and political problems to be peacefully solved as soon as possible,'' he added.
''It is up to Egyptian politicians and the people to decide how to do this. We do not consider it useful to produce any recipes from outside or deliver ultimatums - it is political forces in Egypt who should speak out,'' he stressed.
The United States, which views Egypt as a major regional ally, has made several statements calling on the Egyptian authorities to refrain from violence against protesters and launch political reforms to assure an ''orderly transition'' to democracy.
US President Barack Obama yesterday said that reforms in Egypt ''must begin now,'' stopping short of calling for Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak to leave office.
The statement came after Mubarak's announcement that he would not run in presidential elections due in September, suggesting he was planning to stay in power for eight more months.
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