Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said on Wednesday
that his country sought to normalize diplomatic relations with Iran
through "constructive consultations," the official MENA news agency
reported.
Asked about the prospects of normalizing diplomatic relations to
the ambassadorial level between Egypt and Iran, Abul Gheit said,
"we seek to normalize relations with Tehran through constructive
consultations."
On Tuesday, visiting Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas
Araghchi held talks with senior Egyptian foreign ministry officials
on boosting bilateral ties.
The two sides agreed on resuming dialogue, especially in terms
of bilateral relations on the level of senior officials and then
foreign ministers of the two countries, the foreign ministry said
in a press release following the meeting.
Abul Gheit said he would meet Iranian counterpart Manouchehr
Mottaki at the deliberations of the Non Aligned Movement or Group
of 15 meetings or any others, but ruling out talks between them on
the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings."
Until this moment, there is no plan for holding a meeting
between me and my Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki on the
sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New
York," Abul Gheit was quoted as saying.
As for Iran's disputed nuclear issue, Abul Gheit said Egypt
supports a peaceful settlement, expressing Egypt's full rejection
of any military action against Iran.
"Egypt supports a peaceful settlement to Iran's nuclear file
through negotiations that would allow Iran to use atomic energy for
peaceful purposes in accordance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty," he said.
Bilateral relations between Egypt and Iran, which were frozen
after the Iranian revolution in 1979, have witnessed a gradual
resumption in recent years.
(Xinhua News Agency September 20, 2007)
