Eurasia Press & News
TEHRAN (Fars News Agency) Former Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani on Wednesday called for setting up an Iran-Arab dialogue mechanism to improve relations and dissipate any misunderstanding between the two sides which share many denominators.
Ali Larijani, the representative of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei at Iran’s powerful Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), made the remarks at a joint press conference with Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Amr Moussa at the Cairo-based pan-Arab body.
Larijani said no key problem existed between Iran and Arab countries and bilateral relations could veer towards a strategic trend, noting that other parties sought to cash in on Iran-Arab differences, Xinhua reported.
On the issue of resuming relations between Iran and Egypt, Larijani termed the ongoing contacts held between Iran and Egypt on this respect as “positive.”
Larijani, however, said that there was no haste on both sides on the issue of resuming relations.
Bilateral relations between Egypt and Iran have witnessed gradual warming in recent years. The two nations currently only have interests sections in their respective countries after Iran cut ties in 1980 in protest against Egypt’s recognition of Israel.
For his part, Moussa said that the AL, the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) and other bodies were seeking to settle any dispute or misunderstanding over regional security or the nuclear issues, including Arab-Iranian misunderstanding.
“Iran is after all a Middle East country and a neighboring country that should not be considered as a foe,” Moussa said, noting that differences could be resolved via dialogue.
The talks between Moussa and Larijani tackled on the Middle East security situation, the latest developments in the Palestinian territories, Iraq and Lebanon as well as the Iranian nuclear file.
Larijani arrived in Cairo on Monday and is paying a private visit to Egypt with his family.
