U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is touring Cairo's Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the uprising that toppled autocratic Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak last month.
Clinton said Wednesday visiting the square was a "great reminder of the power of the human spirit and desire for freedom and human rights and democracy."
She was welcomed by Egyptian citizens and shook hands with passersby.
Clinton is on a two-day visit to Egypt aimed at encouraging the country's transitional government to move forward with democratic reforms. She is also scheduled to meet with pro-democracy activists.
She is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Egypt since anti-government protests led to the resignation of Mr. Mubarak.
On Tuesday, she told Egyptians this "moment in history" belongs to them. Clinton commented from Cairo in a joint news conference with Foreign Minister Nabil Elaraby.
She also said the U.S. stands ready to offer support to Egyptians who have overcome obstacles to "pursue the dream of democracy."
Egyptian authorities announced Tuesday they have dissolved the country's widely disliked state security agency -- a move that Clinton applauded. The Interior Ministry said the agency will be replaced with a new security force.
Activists accused the security agency of carrying out a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in the days leading up to Mr. Mubarak's resignation.
Clinton arrived in Cairo Tuesday after attending a Group of Eight foreign ministers' meeting in Paris. After wrapping up talks in Egypt, she travels to Tunisia - the starting point of the pro-democracy movement that has swept through much of the Middle East and North Africa this year.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.