Short as it is, President Mohamed Morsi's visit of a few hours to the Iranian capital where he will attend a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is expected to bestow new scope to relations between the two countries. Presedent Morsi's decision, however, to take this step against reservations that have been expressed and even objection at the regional and international level is apparently intended to send a clear message about Egypt's political willpower to take whatever initiatives it deems within its national interests. The visit derives its significance from being the first made by an Egyptian president since the Iranian Revolution of l979; decades that have witnessed frozen relations, although the two countries have diplomatic missions, yet not at an ambassadorial level. Presedent Morsi's visit to China, which he would combine with the Iranian leg, is quite implicative regarding the orientation of foreign diplomacy towards a wider circle of relations with world countries, particularly with respect to weaning Egypt from US sponsorship. For three decades, Egypt has been quite submissive to a US wish to keep relations severed between Egypt and Iran, although the Gulf States, which have rather comprehensible differences with Iran in issues related to national security, maintain economic and even political relation with it neighbour. Despite being a potential key player in the Middle East, Egypt, under Mubarak's rule, had relinquished its regional responsibilities leaving the arena for other countries to stand out. Post-revolution Egypt is moving towards setting the record straight, dealing with reality on the ground when it comes to growing countries as Iran, which has become a regional power that cannot be ignored. Meanwhile, the economic co-operation envisaged is worth extending a hand where mutual interest looms ahead.
