Iranian delegation in first visit to Cairo since revolution

Aug 8, 2011, 10:54 GMT

Cairo - An Iranian delegation, led by a prominent parliamentarian, arrived in Cairo Monday, in a sign of improving relations between the two countries which do not maintain formal diplomatic relations.

The visit is the first by an Iranian official since former president Hosny Mubarak was toppled in February

Ala'eddin Boroujerdi, chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian parliament, is expected to meet several officials as well as Arab League chief Nabil al-Araby.

Boroujerdi, who acts as a special envoy to parliament speaker Ali Larijani, will extend an invitation to Egyptian officials to participate in a conference to support the Palestinian Intifada next October in Tehran.

After his two day visit to Cairo, Boroujerdi will head to Kuwait on Tuesday.

Tehran and Cairo have had no diplomatic ties since Iran's 1979 revolution because of the Iranian government's objection to Egypt's peace treaty with Israel, but the two governments cooperate on diplomatic affairs at a non-ambassador level.

Mubarak had rejected Iran's overtures for 15 years, but after he was ousted in February, Egypt expressed its readiness to 'open a new page with Iran'.

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