Iran is ready to send an ambassador to Cairo in three days should Egypt decide to restore diplomatic relations with Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Thursday.
“Resuming relations would allow the Iranian government to grant [Egypt] aid in tourism and all other fields,” Salehi said during a meeting with an Egyptian Sufi delegation on a mission to bridge gaps between Islamic sects in Iran.
Iran is ready to send millions of its citizens to Egypt to promote tourism, Salehi emphasized, adding that their visits would help compensate for the decline in tourism from Europe and America.
He noted that Iran is ready to help reconstruct the shrines of the family of Prophet Mohamed in Egypt in a way that matches the people's love and devotion for the prophet and his family.
The Mubarak regime prevented Iran from establishing relations with Egypt, creating a gap between the two peoples and tarnishing the image of Iranians and Shias, he said. The minister also said his country is looking forward to better relations with Egypt following the election of a new parliament, as they can work together to confront Israel and restore security to the region.
He invited an Egyptian delegation to tour Iran's nuclear energy program to give the delegation an idea of how Iran has progressed in the nuclear field.
Salehi said Egypt and Iran must address all aspects of their relationship, including strengthening Sunni-Shia relations.
Ties between the predominantly Sunni Egypt and mostly Shia Iran were severed in 1979 following Iran's Islamic revolution and Egypt's signing of a peace treaty with Israel. But relations have improved since the popular uprising that toppled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on 11 February.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
