Putin Congratulates Mubarak On Reelection

12 September 2005 (RFE/RL) -- The Kremlin said today Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on his reelection in the country's first multi-candidate presidential election.

In his message, Putin called Mubarak's reelection "good news for Egypt, for the region, and the whole world." He said that the elections confirmed the Egyptian leadership's commitment to building a democratic society, and saluted Mubarak's contribution to "achieving a just, all-encompassing and lasting peace in the Middle East."

Official results gave Mubarak more than 88 percent of the vote in Egypt's first-ever multi-candidate election on 9 September.

(AP/ITAR-TASS)