Minister of Foreign Affairs Nabil al-Araby expressed hope that relations between Al-Azhar and the Vatican would return to normal.
The minister revealed he held discussions on Sunday with the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Ahmed al-Tayyib, where he briefed the sheikh on the results of his meeting with Pope Benedict XVI during a recent visit to Italy.
Meanwhile the Vatican announced on Saturday that Araby informed the pope of Tayyib's desire to "get over the problems" lingering since January.
In January, Al-Azhar, the chief Islamic institution in the Sunni Muslim world, decided to indefinitely halt activities of the Permanent Committee for Dialogue with Monotheistic Religions, which conducted inter-faith dialogue with Vatican, following remarks by Benedict XVI on discrimination against Christians in the Middle East.
Tayyib's diplomatic adviser, Mahmoud Abdel Jawwad, told reporters on Sunday that avoiding attacks on Islam would be a condition for restoring relations with Vatican.
Meanwhile, Tayyib’s adviser for dialogue, Mahmoud Azab, said that Al-Azhar is awaiting change in Vatican’s rhetoric and approach to issues concerning Muslims.
