A change in Egypt’s leadership is inevitable after days of anti-government protests that have gripped the country, according to international Middle East envoy Tony Blair.

Mr Blair said “there’s bound to be a process of change” in Egypt, the largest and most powerful Arab nation and a key Western ally.

The former British PM did not say explicitly whether Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak must step down, but he did say it’s important that Egypt holds proper elections and that any transition takes place in an orderly fashion.

“People want to get to a position where the Egyptian people are able to express their will in free and fair elections,” he said. “But I think the watchword is change with care, because at the same time we have to make sure any change occurs with stability and order.”

In particular, he said he was concerned that unrest in Egypt could disrupt the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

“Change is going to happen, but it should be the right type of change and that process of change needs to be managed with order and stability so that you don’t end up in a situation worse than the one we have and destabilising the region,” he said.

Mr Blair represents the international Quartet of Middle East peacemakers – the US, the European Union, Russia and the UN – which is set to gather next week to discuss stalled peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians.

Mr Blair said the focus of the meeting would be to get the sides talking again. Negotiations have been stalled for more than three months because of disagreements over Israel’s continued settlement construction in occupied areas claimed by the Palestinians.

“I think there’s one key issue really that is necessary to revive direct negotiations and get this process back under way, and that is to give credibility to the notion that we want a Palestinian state,” remarked Mr Blair.

Reactions

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of the dangers of an Iranian-style regime led by Islamic extremists arising out of the political chaos.

“In a time of chaos, an organised Islamic group can take over the state. It happened in Iran and it also happened in other places,” the Israeli leader said.

Arab League

Amr Mussa, Arab League chief, for a peaceful transition “from an era to the other” in Egypt.

“There has to be a peaceful way forward, a peaceful transition... from an era to the other,” remarked Mr Mussa. “It is incumbent upon politicians or people working in politics to help that process.” Mr Mussa, a former Egyptian Foreign Minister, is highly popular in his home country and has been mooted as a possible successor to Mr Mubarak.

Asked whether he planned to resign his post as secretary general of the 22-member Arab League and enter Egyptian politics, he said his mandate would end in two months but when pressed, he would only say: “I am not willing” to stand again as secretary general of the Cairo-based organisation.

Cuba

Cuba’s Fidel Castro said that the US will be hard-pressed to contain the unrest in Egypt and Tunisia, calling it a “pot of crickets” of America’s own making.

“(US President Barack) Obama has no way to manage the pot of crickets that (the US) has created,” Mr Castro wrote in the state-run press.

“Days have gone by since the fall of the government of Tunisia, where the US had imposed neoliberal economic policies and was happy with its political handiwork,” he wrote.

“It is incredible that now, after the oppressed public spills its blood and loots the stores, that Washington is expressing its happiness over the collapse” of the Tunisian government, the 84-year old former leader wrote.

Hizbollah

Hezbollah called for armed struggle against Israel and denounced the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and the Jewish state. It angered Mr Mubarak by accusing Egypt of complicity with Israel during the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip in late 2008.

In 2010, Egyptian courts sentenced 26 people for allegedly planning attacks on behalf of Hizbollah, which was seen as retaliation for the Lebanese movement’s criticism.

The arrests strained relations between predominantly Sunni Egypt, and Shiite Hizbollah’s backer Iran, with Cairo accusing Teheran of using the movement to gain a foothold in Egypt.

European Union

Europe demanded “free and fair” elections in Egypt as it sought to respond to pressure to speak up on the turmoil sweeping Arab nations on its volatile southern flank.

With Egypt seen as key to stability across the Middle East, EU foreign ministers demanded President Hosni Mubarak kickstart an “orderly transition” that stopped short of asking him to step down.

A declaration adopted by the EU’s 27 ministers called for a step-by-step approach, starting with a broad-based interim government and culminating with a democratic vote.

“The council urges Egyptian authorities to embark on an orderly transition through a broad-based government leading to a genuine process of substantial democratic reforms, with full respect of rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms paving the way for fair and free elections,” it said.