Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian met his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in New York on Wednesday in order to enhance bilateral ties and cooperation.
Amir Abdollahian and Shoukry held a meeting on the sidelines of the 78th annual session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday.
The Iranian Foreign Ministery described the talks over issues of mutual interest as “positive and fruitful”.
The two diplomats highlighted the civilizational and historical background of the two nations and their cultural commonalities, stressing the need to pave the ground for the fulfillment of mutual interests through constant dialogue among the officials of Tehran and Cairo.
The ministers also emphasized that stronger relations and collaboration between Iran and Egypt will serve the interests of the two Muslim nations and have positive implications for the region.
Meanwhile, Iran’s President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi told a press conference at the end of his trip to New York that a meeting of the Iranian and Egyptian foreign ministers in New York could pave the way for a restoration of relations.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran does not see any obstacle in establishing relations with Egypt, and this issue has been announced to the Egyptian side as well,” the president said.
In a meeting with the Omani Sultan in Tehran in late May, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said that Tehran welcomes restoring relations with Cairo, adding that Iran has no problem in this regard.
Egyptian officials have recently told The National that Egypt and Iran are expected to exchange ambassadors within months, part of a process mediated by Oman to normalise relations between the two regional powers.
Two officials said that a meeting has been agreed in principle between President El Sisi and President Rayeesi. They added the meeting is likely to take place by the end of the year.
Iran and Egypt cut diplomatic ties in 1980 after Cairo admitted the former Shah of Iran and recognized Israel. In recent years, Iran has announced readiness to mend relations with Egypt by settling differences on certain issues.
The Rayeesi administration has been pushing to forge closer relations with neighbors as well as regional and Muslim nations, as part of a campaign against the tough US sanctions in place against the country.
Iran’s president has repeatedly stressed that his administration’s foreign policy builds on forging balanced relations with all the world countries.
Iranian officials have underlined that the US has been defeated in the maximum pressure policy against Tehran, underscoring that the policy of isolating Iran has ended up in failure. They say Washington’s sanctions and threats have all failed to cease Tehran’s progress.
