Tehran-Cairo relations not against other countries: Salehi

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi says strategic relations between Iran and Egypt are not meant to harm other countries.

In an exclusive interview with the Arabic-language newspaper Asharq al-Awsat in Cairo on Thursday, Salehi said Tehran and Cairo should exercise vigilance against plots meant to undermine their ties.

He stressed that strong and deeply-rooted relations between Iran and Egypt cannot be sabotaged by others and those ties should not be viewed as aimed against other countries.

Iran severed diplomatic ties with Egypt following the Islamic Revolution of 1979 after Egypt signed the Camp David Accord with Israel and granted asylum to former Iranian dictator Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Morsi visited Iran in August 2012 to attend a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement. It was the first visit by an Egyptian president to Iran in more than three decades.

Relations between Iran and Egypt have seen relative thaw following the election of Morsi, who assumed office on June 30, 2012. However, full diplomatic relations between the two countries have not been restored yet.