Egypt Reiterates Resolve to Resume Ties with Iran
News number: 9002076527 14:08 | 2011-04-27
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9002076527

TEHRAN (FNA)- Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Abdulaziz Sharaf shrugged off
the alarm raised by some Persian Gulf Arab officials against resumption of
Tehran-Cairo relations, and reiterated his country's firm resolve to resume
and expand ties with Iran.

"Egypt is trying to begin a new chapter in ties with Iran as one of the
world's important countries," Sharaf said in a meeting with Kuwaiti Amir
Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah on Tuesday.

"However, security of the Persian Gulf is a redline and important to Egypt's
security," he added.

During the meeting also attended by Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser
al-Mohammad al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah, Sharaf also submitted a written
message of Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, Head of Egypt's Military Council, to the
Kuwaiti Amir.

Sharaf arrived in Kuwait on Tuesday for a two-day official visit as part of
his first Persian Gulf tour that began in Saudi Arabia and will also include
Qatar.

Earlier this week, Egyptian Government Spokesman Ahmed Al Saman underlined
that his country is determined to resume relations with Iran, and assured
that third party can pressure Cairo into changing the decision.

Dismissing the concerns voiced by certain Persian Gulf littoral states about
Egypt's decision to resume ties with Iran, he assured these countries that
Tehran-Cairo relations would not harm their interests at all.

After the collapse of Hosni Mubarak's regime, the Iranian and Egyptian
officials voiced their interest in the resumption of diplomatic relations
between the two countries and Iran's top diplomat Ali Akbar Salehi
officially invited Egypt's newly appointed Foreign Minister Nabil al-Arabi
to pay a visit to Tehran.

The invitation letter was submitted to the Egyptian foreign minister during
a meeting between Director of Iran's Interest Section in Cairo Mojtaba Amani
and al-Arabi.

Egyptian daily, al-Ahram quoted the spokesman of the Egyptian foreign
ministry as saying that Salehi in his message had lauded the recently
uttered positive remarks by al-Arabi about the promotion of bilateral ties
with Iran.

Al-Arabi in his first press conference earlier this month announced Cairo's
preparedness to open "a new page with Iran".

The official went on to say that the Egyptian government does not see Iran
as an enemy state, noting the two countries have historically rooted
relations.

He further stated that establishment of diplomatic ties depends on the
Iranian side.

In reply, Salehi also said that Iran is ready to resume relations with
Cairo.