CAIRO – Gulf security is a top priority of Egypt and the rapprochement between Egypt and Iran will not be at the expense of the Gulf, Egypt's newly appointed Foreign Minister Mohamed el-Orabi said on Sunday. He said he is planning to pay a visit to the Gulf states soon, adding that the "Arab countries are keen to hold cooperation with Egypt". In an interview with a Kuwaiti newspaper published on Sunday, el-Orabi said that ex-Foreign Minister Nabil el-Arabi had worked out a scheduled framework for Egyptian-Iranian relations in the future. El-Arabi had earlier said that the development of Egyptian-Iranian ties should be discussed in Egyptian Parliament in due time. El-Orabi however pointed out that Egyptian revolution had changed a lot of things in the area, creating a new strategic reality. "I think stability and unity in the area are a common framework for all Arab nations," el-Orabi said. He added that the Arab peoples hope that Egypt would stand on its feet again economically speaking. The Egyptian official assured that the State foreign policy will reflect a post-revolution reality since Egypt has become inspiring to others. "We have an extremely strong chance to determine our foreign policy in such a way to serve revolutionary targets and fulfill aspirations of the Egyptians," the diplomat elaborated. He pointed out that Prime Minister Essam Sharaf will pay a visit to the United Arab Emirates on Monday after which he will make an Arab tour starting with some Gulf states and then Arab Magreb countries. Regarding the file of Nile basin, el-Orabi said that there are mutual interests between Egypt and African countries, adding that Africa needs Egypt to restore its strong presence in the continent. "The Nile Basin has to be an area for cooperation not for disputes,where the nile is its development artery. We will adopt a policy that protects Egyptian interest and yet observes strong cooperation with the Basin countries," he added.
