Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Thursday that the Islamic Republic would welcome the resumption and expansion of ties with Egypt and Morocco. Speaking at an event in Tehran to mark the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday in the presence of foreign diplomats, Amir-Abdollahian said the government of President Ebrahim Raisi prioritizes relations with countries in the region and the Muslim world. "We (would) welcome the expansion and normalization of relations with other regional and Muslim countries, including Egypt and Morocco," he said, referring to two countries that are yet to restore ties with Iran. The friction in ties between Iran and Egypt can be traced back to 1979, when Egypt became the first Arab country to recognize Israel and signed the controversial Camp David Accords. After the 1979 revolution, Cairo's decision to welcome deposed Iranian monarch Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and Tehran's move to name a street after former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's assassin further deteriorated relations between them. In recent months, following the restoration of diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Tehran and Cairo have stepped up efforts to bury the hatchet and revive ties. Morocco severed ties with Iran in May 2018 over what it termed Tehran's alleged support for the Polisario Front, an armed group fighting for self-determination of Western Sahara, which is claimed by Morocco. Iran has repeatedly denied the allegation. Amir-Abdollahian also expressed concern over the ongoing civil war in Sudan. He added that Iran follows the policy of "neither East nor West" and pays "special attention" to the expansion of ties with regional and Muslim countries. He asserted that relations with the West and East must be based on "mutual benefits, cooperation and interaction." Amir-Abdollahian also said that Iran and Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries must play a greater role in the region and the world and "continue to support the oppressed people of Palestine." He blamed "enemies of the Muslim world" for "designing plots to divide Muslim countries," referring to Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria as examples. Earlier this month, Iranian government spokesperson Ali Bahadori Jahromi said President Raisi had tasked the Foreign Ministry with initiating the formal process for the full restoration of ties with Egypt. Jahromi said Iran is ready to resume full diplomatic ties with the Arab country, signaling its desire to boost ties with regional countries amid the normalization wave. The announcement came a day after Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq Al Said met Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during his two-day visit to Iran.
Source: EN - Anadolu Agency
