During bilateral meetings on sidelines of D-8 summit
Tehran, Cairo discuss restoration of ties after four decades
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, expressed their hope that the recent positive steps taken to restore ties between the two countries will continue until full bilateral relations are established.
The two presidents met on Thursday on the sidelines of the 11th summit of the leaders of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, according to Press TV.
Pezeshkian emphasized the necessity of promoting economic cooperation, and the continued talks between Tehran and Cairo, which have not had political ties for more than four decades.
For his part, Sisi described the latest Israeli aggression on Syria as unprecedented, expressing his country’s support for the formation of an inclusive government in Syria.
Mehdi Sanaei, a senior political aide to Pezeshkian, had noted earlier that “good dialogue” was held between the two countries’ presidents, adding that “political talks and appropriate actions have started between the two countries.”
Stressing Syria’s integrity to Erdogan
Pezeshkian, in his meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday, underscored the need to safeguard Syria’s territorial integrity amid recent developments in the Arab country.
“Any changes in Syria must respect its territorial integrity, and even the slightest violation of its sovereignty is completely unacceptable,” Pezeshkian said, according to ISNA.
Pezeshkian also called for an immediate halt to Israeli aggression in the region. He urged Islamic nations to fulfill their responsibility in countering Israeli actions, stating, “If there is unity and solidarity among the Islamic community, the regime will not dare to commit such atrocities.”
“We are waiting for the implementation of agreements and the realization of trade targets set between Iran and Turkey,” Pezeshkian added.
For his part, Erdogan said, “Preserving Syria’s territorial integrity is crucial for Turkey, and we hope joint efforts will soon restore peace and security in Syria.”
He described enhancing Iran-Turkey cooperation as vital for regional stability and expressed hope that the High Council for Strategic Cooperation meeting would be held next year.
Calling for unified currency among Muslim nations
In a separate meeting in Cairo on the same day, Pezeshkian held talks with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.
The Pakistani premier expressed his support for Pezeshkian’s idea of creating a unified currency and utilizing the capacities of shared markets among Muslim nations.
Pezeshkian and Sharif also addressed issues concerning delays faced by Iranian trucks at the Pakistan border. Sharif assured his Iranian counterpart that the problem would be resolved promptly, according to Tasnim.