World leaders have welcomed the announcement by Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak to stand down.
Speaking this evening, US president Barack Obama said Mr Mubarak’s resignation was the beginning, not the end, of the transition to democracy in Egypt.
Mr Obama said the long-time Egyptian leader responded to his people’s hunger for change. But he warned that there will still be difficult days ahead for Egypt as it works toward free and fair elections.
"The people of Egypt have spoken," the president said, stressing the US-aided Egyptian army that "nothing less than genuine democracy" would satisfy people's hunger for change.
Earlier, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said she respects Mr Mubarak's decision and called for dialogue for the formation of a broad-based government.
In a statement, Ms Ashton also said the European Union shared the objective of the Egyptian people for an orderly transition to democracy and free and fair elections.
British prime minister David Cameron tonight called for “a move to civilian and democratic rule” in Egypt. “Today has been a remarkable day, particularly for those people in Tahrir Square and elsewhere, who have spoken out so bravely and so peacefully for change in their country,” he said.
German chancellor Angela Merkel said Mr Mubarak did a service to the people of Egypt by stepping down. She also said Egypt's treaties with Israel need to be honoured. “Egypt now has a really precious moment of opportunity to have a government that can bring the country together. And as a friend of Egypt and the Egyptian people we stand ready to help in any way that we can."
"Today is a day of great joy," Ms Merkel told a news conference in Berlin. "We are all witness to a historic change. I share the joy of the people of Egypt, with the millions of people on the streets of Egypt."
Israel said he hopes the resignation will bring no change to its peaceful relations with Cairo, a senior Israeli official said. "It's too early to foresee how (the resignation) will affect things," the official said. "We hope that the change to democracy in Egypt will happen without violence and that the peace accord will remain."
Egypt in 1979 became the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel and has backed US-led efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Last week, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of an Iranian-style Islamist revolution in Egypt should Mr Mubarak's Muslim Brotherhood rivals eventually take over.
The Egyptian secretary-general of the Arab League Amr Moussa welcomed what he called the "white revolution" but declined to say if he would run for president in the future.
"I look forward to the future to build a national consensus in the coming period. There is a big chance now and a window has opened after this white revolution and after the president's concession," he told Al Arabiya television.
Reuters