The Hill News

Vice President Joe Biden phoned his Egyptian counterpart on Tuesday to further efforts toward a transition of government in Egypt after weeks of protest.

Biden spoke to Egyptian Vice President Omar Soliman today, the White House said in a statement, "to reiterate the United States’ support for an orderly transition in Egypt that is prompt, meaningful, peaceful, and legitimate."

The call comes as public protests of the reigning government and President Hosni Mubarak have entered their third week, though the protests have grown more muted.

The U.S. government is seen as turning increasingly toward Soliman in their dealings with the Egyptian government, especially after Mubarak had said he intends to leave office after elections in September.

Biden "urged that the transition produce immediate, irreversible progress that responds to the aspirations of the Egyptian people," the White House said in its readout.

Biden p! ressed Soliman on allowing more freedom for journalists in Egypt, and to be more inclusive of opposition forces in developing a "roadmap and timetable" for a political transition in Egypt.