Egypt: Iran ties not to come at Gulf expense

Jul 3, 2011, 10:22 GMT

Kuwait City- Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed al-Orabi has said that his country's rapprochement with Iran would 'never come at the expense of the Gulf.'

'Gulf security is an Egyptian priority and at the centre of Egypt's attention,' he told the Kuwaiti newspaper Al Rai in remarks published on Sunday.

Al-Orabi, who became Egypt's foreign minister late last month, Sunday flew to Saudi Arabia, a Gulf heavyweight, for talks with his Saudi counterpart Saudi al-Faisal.

'The Arab world is more keen on cooperation with Egypt,' al-Orabi added. Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf is due to visit Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, two Gulf countries, this week.

Diplomatic ties between Iran and Egypt have been severed since Cairo provided refuge to the exiled Iranian leader Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi following his ouster by the Islamic revolution in 1979.

Over the decades, relations remained troubled, with Egypt accusing Iran of interfering in the affairs of Arab countries, and Iran accusing Egypt of supporting Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.

There has been noticeable improvement in ties between the two countries since former Egyptian president Hosny Mubarak was forced to step down earlier this year.

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