CAIRO, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit on Sunday highlighted the importance of the country's constitutional amendments as crucial in guarantee the stability in the region.

    Abul Gheit made the remarks at a joint press conference with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice after her talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak earlier Sunday in the southern Egyptian city of Aswan.

    He underscored Egypt's efforts to achieve peace in the region and promote cultural, social and economic life through reforms. Egypt not only has the responsibility to maintain internal stability, social and economic progress within an objective visionary laws, but also has the responsibility to the policies of the Mideast region, added Abul Gheit.

    He also stressed the necessity of Egypt's constitutional amendments as his country faces strong terror threats from "a number of hardliner and extremist types".

    Egypt is scheduled to hold a national referendum on Monday on the constitutional amendments of 34 articles, which will enshrine anti-terrorism laws into Egypt's constitution to grant the government more power against terrorism.

    For her part, Rice said the United States appreciates the reform process in Egypt, but she also expressed to Mubarak during their talks the U.S. concerns and hopes about the progress of democratic reforms in Egypt.

    "The process of reform is the one that is difficult, it's going to have its ups and downs," Rice said.

    Meanwhile, she asserted that U.S. President George W. Bush remained committed to democracy in the Middle East, adding that being open and candid is the only way to make progress.

    Earlier on Saturday, Abul Gheit urged Washington not to interfere with Egypt's domestic political affairs after Rice on Friday expressed concern and disappointment over the "abbreviated timetable" of holding a referendum over constitutional amendments in Egypt.

    Aswan is the first stop of Rice's recent Middle East tour which will also take her to Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan to pursue efforts to revive the Mideast peace process. The visit came just days before the Arab summit in Riyadh due for March 28-29.