The chancellor held a lengthy telephone conversation with Mubarak in the afternoon on the latest developments in Egypt, chancellery spokesman Steffen Seibert was quoted as saying.
Merkel stressed it was crucial for the Egyptian government to enter into a dialogue with the population, especially the young people, and `respond to their legitimate demands,` according to Seibert.
She also urged Mubarak to ensure that Egypt`s security forces refrain from using violence against protesters who on Sunday took to the streets for the sixth consecutive day to push for political reforms.
Meanwhile, the German leader pressed the Egyptian president to ensure the right to demonstrate as well as freedom in the wake of Cairo`s decision to sever Internet links and ban Arab television news channel al-Jazeera for its reporting of the protests.
Merkel voiced the hope that Mubarak would swiftly deliver on his pledge for reforms.
The German foreign ministry has stepped up plans to evacuate thousands of its nationals stranded in Egypt amid the deteriorating security situation in the Arab country, the press reported Sunday.
German airliner Lufthansa is to offer an etxra flight to Cairo on Monday following a request by the German foreign ministry.
There are an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 German nationals living in the greater Cairo metropolitan area, in addition to thousands of German tourists who were touring Egypt when the political unrest erupted.
(U.KR-DLN/M016/P003)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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