Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi said today it was an "ethical duty" to support the Syrian people against the "oppressive regime" in Damascus.

"Our solidarity with the struggle of the Syrian people against an oppressive regime that has lost its legitimacy is an ethical duty as it is a political and strategic necessity," Mursi said in a speech at a Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran.

"We all have to announce our full solidarity with the struggle of those seeking freedom and justice in Syria, and translate this sympathy into a clear political vision that supports a peaceful transition to a democratic system of rule that reflects the demands of the Syrian people for freedom."

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