'US looking forward to work with Egyptian Prez elect'

The United States is looking forward to working with the new Egyptian government and hopes that the country's President-elect Mohammed Mursi will take steps to advance national unity, uphold universal values and respect the rights of his citizens, the White House said.

"We look forward to working together with President-elect Mursi and the government he forms to advance the many sharedinterests between Egypt and the United States," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters.

He said, the US hopes Mursi would take steps to advance the national unity, uphold universal values and respect the rights of all Egyptian citizens, including women and religious minorities such as Coptic Christians.

Defending the Obama administration's decision to support Mursi, which is being criticized by the Republicans, Carney said we judge individuals and parties that are "elected in a democratic process by their actions, not by their religious affiliations".

I would point you to the comments that President-elect Mursi made, the commitments he made to upholding civil rights, including of women and Coptic Christians -- principles that we very much think are important, he argued.

The US' commitment to the revolution that began in Egypt was to a process that provides for a transition to democracy that was transparent, he said.

"We congratulate the Egyptian people on this milestone as part of that process," he added.

When asked if he has any concern that the rise of Muslim Brotherhood could set back relations between Egypt and Israel; Carney said the US judges individuals and parties on their actions once in office rather than their religious affiliations.

"I would simply note that in his address to the Egyptian people on Sunday, President-elect Mursi acknowledged that Egypt would continue to uphold its treaty obligations – a treaty that is, of course, of great importance is the one that it has with Israel," he said.