Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 1
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, on the sidelines of the 24th African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Iran's Fars news agency reported Feb. 1.
The two sides discussed the latest regional developments, emphasizing Tehran-Cairo's shared stance towards fighting terrorism in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria.
Amir Abdollahian also underlined the importance of all political groups' participation in political process in Egypt and national unity in the country.
The Iranian diplomat further condemned the recent terror attack in Egypt's Sinai peninsula which left dozens killed. At least 26 Egyptian soldiers were killed in the attack which took place on Jan. 29 at a checkpoint in Sinai. The bomb blast was one of the deadliest attacks in Sinai for months.
It should be noted that Iran and Egypt cut formal diplomatic relations in 1980 after Tehran was angered by Egypt's admission of the deposed Shah of Iran and Egypt's recognition of Israel.
Iran welcomed the 2011 uprising in Egypt that led to the downfall of autocratic President Hosni Mubarak. Under Mursi, the ties between the two countries seemed to improve, with the then Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad becoming the first Iranian leader to visit Egypt in more than three decades.
When the army ousted Mohamed Mursi from power last July, Tehran criticized this move.