Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has expressed optimism about the prospect of bilateral relations between Iran and Egypt. Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on Sunday. The Iranian official, who has traveled to Egypt to take part in the inauguration ceremony of the country's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, said Iranian representation at the inauguration "sends a positive message to the Egyptian people." Sisi, who was Egypt's former military chief, was officially declared president after Egypt's electoral commission said that he had won nearly 97 percent of the ballots. The election in late May came nearly one year after the army ousted Mohamed Morsi in July 2013. Amir-Abdollahian said that during the brief meeting with Sisi he had expressed Iran's readiness to have close cooperation with Egypt. The Iranian official said Egypt plays an important role in the Arab and Islamic world, adding that Iran actively pursues the developments in Tehran-Cairo ties. Amir-Abdollahian said that the Islamic Republic welcomes high-level ties with Egypt and is ready to host meetings with Egyptian officials. Tehran cut ties with Cairo because Egypt had signed the Camp David Accords with the Israeli regime and offered asylum to Iran's deposed monarch, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The two major Muslim countries, however, moved to improve ties following the 2011 revolution in Egypt and under the presidency of Morsi. In February 2013, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad paid a historic visit to Egypt to attend a summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Source: Press Tv
