The US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, has made a call for democratic reform in the Arab World in a major policy speech in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.
Ms Rice called on Egypt to ensure its upcoming election was free and fair.
She also criticised both the Egyptian government and Saudi Arabia, the next stop on her Middle East tour, for cracking down on dissenters.
Earlier today, Ms Rice held talks in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh with the country's president, Hosney Mubarak.
The talks focussed on political reform in Egypt and wider issues in the Middle East.
