An Iranian newspaper reported on Tuesday that Tehran has exempted nationals of Egypt, and six other countries, from visa applications in an apparent attempt at mending relations between Tehran and Cairo after decades of political and diplomatic tensions. A report published on the online version of Kayhan newspaper said that citizens of Turkey, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Bolivia, Egypt, and Syria can now be issued a visa upon arrival. Kayhan said that under the new regulations, nationals of these countries can enter Iran and stay up to 90 days without visa requirements. Iranian authorities are working on boosting the tourism industry, according to the paper. Tehran is considering the idea of creating a "visa waiver program under which visa limitations for citizens of 60 countries around the globe will be lifted," the paper added. The Iranian Embassy in Cairo has offered visa services to Egyptian applicants over the years. Meanwhile, Egyptian Petroleum Minister Sherif Ismail told Ahram daily that Cairo could import oil from Iran after the US lifts sanctions against Tehran following the recently-reached nuclear deal. Egypt and Iran had severed diplomatic ties following the 1979 Iranian revolution. However, in February 2013, then-president Mohamed Morsi made a historic visit to Tehran, a visit returned by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad shortly thereafter. In April 2013, a tourist group of more than 50 Iranians visited Upper Egypt as part of a bilateral tourism agreement between Cairo and Tehran that was signed in February 2013. However, soon afterward, under pressure from ultra-conservative anti-Shia Salafists, the ousted Islamist president cancelled incoming trips from Iran. Source: Ahram Online
