A Syrian government delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Muqdad on Thursday began talks at the Russian foreign ministry on the crisis in the country, Russian news agencies said.

The delegation was at the foreign ministry in Moscow, the reports said, without giving further details about the nature of the talks, amid speculation of a new Russia-U.S. initiative to end the crisis.

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Wednesday hailed an Islamist-backed charter he pushed through despite fierce opposition protests as "a new dawn" for his country, and said he would now tackle a teetering economy.

In a televised national address, Morsi said he would reshuffle his government and renewed an offer of dialogue with the largely secular opposition.

The United States on Tuesday called on Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi to work to "bridge divisions," after Egyptian officials confirmed voters backed a controversial Islamist-backed constitution.

"The future of Egypt's democracy depends on forging a broader consensus behind its new democratic rules and institutions," State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said in a statement.

Egypt's constitution was passed with 63.8 percent voter support in the two-stage referendum that ended last weekend, the national electoral commission said on Tuesday.

Turnout was 32.9 percent of Egypt's total 52 million voters, the president of the commission, Samir Abul Maati, told a news conference in Cairo.

An Egyptian court on Tuesday freed the former senate leader under ousted president Hosni Mubarak on bail, after spending the maximum permitted 18 months in jail awaiting his corruption trial, the official MENA news agency reported.

Safwat al-Sherif, one of the top-ranking members of Mubarak's National Democrat Party, was allowed out on payment of the equivalent of $8,100.

Iran, whose diplomatic ties with Cairo were cut three decades ago, on Sunday welcomed the new Islamist-backed constitution of Egypt, saying it would advance the goals of all Egyptians.

"This popular participation is a tremendous support for the Egyptian government in taking future strides to achieve the Egyptian people's progressive, Islamic and revolutionary goals," said foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast, quoted by ISNA news agency.

Germany urged Egypt Sunday to get to the bottom of allegations of fraud leveled by the opposition after the adoption of a new, Islamist-backed constitution in a referendum.

"The reports from Egypt fill me with concern," Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in a statement.

Egypt's opposition said on Sunday it will appeal a referendum seen as voting in a new constitution backed by ruling Islamists, and vowed to keep up a struggle that has spawned weeks of protests and instability.

Polling "fraud and violations" skewed the results of the two-stage referendum, the final leg of which was held on Saturday, the National Salvation Front charged.

Egypt has adopted a new, Islamist-backed constitution with nearly two-thirds support in a referendum preceded by weeks of sometimes bloody protests, official media said on Sunday.

The secular-leaning opposition, which has alleged fraud, was mulling its next move in its campaign against the text, which it says limits the freedoms of religious minorities and women. It was to hold a news conference later Sunday.

Egypt's cabinet denied on Saturday that the country's central bank head had stepped down, state television said, hours after reporting Faruq El-Okda's resignation.

There was no immediate explanation for the conflicting reports.