The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 16th foreign ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement, which opened on Monday and runs until Friday.
The meeting was the first between senior Iranian and Egyptian officials since former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was ousted on February 11. The meeting signified a milestone in relations between Iran and the post-Mubarak Egypt.
The Islamic Republic of Iran cut diplomatic ties with Egypt in 1979 because Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel and offered asylum to former Iranian dictator Mohammad Reza Pahlavi after he was deposed.
However, the relations between the two countries began to thaw after Mubarak’s ouster.
During the meeting, Salehi and al-Arabi explored ways to improve bilateral relations and put great emphasis on the need to continue consultations.
They also emphasized the need to clear up misunderstandings between Tehran and Cairo.
Salehi and al-Arabi expressed satisfaction over Iran-Egypt cooperation at the NAM organization and other international forums and said that the improvement of bilateral diplomatic relations will benefit the two countries.
Salehi said that the two countries should make efforts to clear up the misunderstandings.
Again Salehi congratulated al-Arabi on the great victory of the Egyptian revolution, saying Egypt deserves to regain its rightful status.
Al-Arabi said, “The Egyptian government is keen to have good relations with other countries, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, in line with its policy to reform national policies, which is meant to serve the interests of the Egyptian people.”
It is necessary that the two countries make endeavors to eliminate ambiguities and improve their ties, he added.
Opening embassies not yet on the agenda
After his meeting with al-Arabi, Salehi told reporters that opening embassies in Tehran and Cairo is not still on the agenda.
First the relations must improve, and then the embassies would be opened, the Iranian foreign minister added.
Iran and Egypt will make the preparations so that the ground is prepared to do such a thing, Salehi said, adding that Egypt is undergoing a transition and Iran hopes the next government would make better decisions in this regard.
UN inaction has made Israel more presumptuous
Salehi also delivered a speech at the NAM meeting, in which he strongly criticized the United Nations for its inaction toward atrocities being committed by the Zionist regime in the occupied territories.
The UN inaction, which is due to complicity between some of its members and the Zionist regime, has made this regime more presumptuous, he noted.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Salehi commented on the developments in the Middle and North Africa, saying the people’s legitimate demands should be responded to, their rights should be respected, and their fundamental needs should be met.
He renewed Tehran’s call for a total eradication of weapons of mass destruction and the need for a comprehensive campaign against terrorism.
Iran is scheduled to assume the one-year presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement in the year 2012.
Fiji and Azerbaijan will also join the organization in the near future.
EP/PA
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MNA