Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi held a number of meetings in Cairo on Thursday during his visit to discuss bilateral relations between Iran and Egypt.
“Rapprochement between Cairo and Tehran does not mean being against the interests of others. We have no intention of [harming other countries], and each side has its own political vision,” Salehi said in an interview on “Good Morning Egypt” on the state-run Channel One.
Salehi stressed the need to strengthen Egypt-Iran relations in a number of areas, but pointed out that these relations have improved since the 25 January revolution.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad invited President Mohamed Morsy to visit Iran soon, he said.
Egypt and Iran are two of the most important countries in the Middle East and have a major impact on the region; the two countries could support each other in terms of economy and trade, Salehi continued.
On Thursday the minister met with Secretary General of the Arab League Nabil al-Araby, his Egyptian counterpart Mohamed Kamel Amr and UN envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi.
Arab League sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the meeting between Salehi and Araby focused on the Syrian crisis, and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's plan to find a political solution to end the conflict.
Deputy spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry Nazih al-Nagary said that Salehi and Amr’s meeting was also focused on the situation in Syria.
Amr expressed Egypt’s desire to maintain communication with all parties involved in the crisis in order to fight for the goals of the Syrian people, Nagary said.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
