Iran, Egypt demonstrate necessary will to restore ties: Presidential aide
A senior political aide to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has emphasized the mutual resolve between Iran and Egypt to restore diplomatic relations after more than four decades, with plans to reopen their embassies in the “near future.”
Mehdi Sanaei made the remarks on Thursday while noting President Pezeshkian’s participation in the ongoing D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation summit in Cairo.
“Iran and Egypt have not had political relations for more than four decades; but better interaction has been established in the past year. Good dialogue was held between the heads of the two countries in November; [and] political talks and appropriate actions have started between the two countries,” Sanaei said.
“There is the necessary will for both countries to resume relations, and we hope that with the measures that have been taken and are being taken, we will go as far as to reopen embassies in the near future.”
The presidential aide said nearly one billion and two hundred million Muslims in the world live in the member countries of the D-8, which accounts for 60% of the total Muslim population in the world.
Stressing that the D-8 is an economic organization with its own principles, Sanaei said the primary goal of the group pertains to economy, economic enterprises and the field of technology, as well as strengthening and developing cooperation in these areas among Muslim countries.
Citing statistics, Sanaei said the annual trade between the D-8 countries is between $125 and $130 billion, which is planned to reach about $500 billion in 2030.
The D-8 is an organization for developing cooperation among Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey.
Pezeshkian arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to take part in the D-8 summit on Thursday, marking the first visit by an Iranian president to Egypt in 11 years.
Egypt severed diplomatic relations with Iran in 1980, as shifts widened between the two following the Islamic Revolution in Iran and Egypt’s recognition of Israel. The move came after Egypt welcomed the deposed US-backed Pahlavi ruler.
However, since Egypt’s longtime strongman Hosni Mubarak was toppled in a popular uprising in 2011, there has been a warming of relations between Iran and Egypt.
In recent years, particularly amid the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza, diplomatic contacts between the two countries have intensified as Egypt has tried to play a mediating role.
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