Iran senior diplomat regrets Egyptian statements
Egypt-Iran, Politics, 6/25/2007

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab-African Affairs Mohammad Reza Baqeri regretted Sunday that Iran has sometimes been treated "unkindly" by some Arab states.

The diplomat who arrived in Damascus on Friday evening, made the remarks in a press conference in reaction to the recent statement of the Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

The Egyptian minister had recently claimed that Iran's measures in the region put national security of Egypt in danger.

"Since the victory of Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979, the country has adopted a friendly and sincere attitude towards the Arab states and our Arab friends have realized this in the course of time," Baqeri said.

He referred to Gheit's remarks as "unfriendly statements" made as a "blame game" following the recent tensions in Gaza Strip between supporters of Hamas and Fatah.

"It is better that our good Egyptian friends, instead of trying to spoil Iran's role by making unfriendly statements, try to talk about its constructive role in promoting the interests and achieving the objectives of the Islamic Ummah (nations)," Baqeri said.

Rejecting Gheit's remarks, the Iranian diplomat stressed that his statements were considered "unacceptable" by many political scholars worldwide as they knew that Iran was not involved in Gaza tensions and has always been working for national solidarity and unity in Palestine and not for making any division among different Palestinian groups.

Baqeri expressed hope that Iran's "Egyptian friends would act considering Iran's friendly intentions towards themselves."

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said here Sunday recent remarks made by Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit do not correspond with regional realities and developments in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq.

"We were surprised by Egyptian foreign minister's remarks, too," Hosseini told domestic and foreign reporters.

"A look at the past with respect to Palestine will show that Iran has always supported talks between Hamas and Fatah and the Mecca Agreement," he said.

The agreement was brokered in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in March between Hamas and Fatah to form a national unity government in an attempt to overcome their differences.

Hosseini voiced Tehran's support for establishment of a national unity government in Palestine and added, "Iran has also invited others to back the Palestinian government. "This is while certain countries have expressed dissatisfaction with Mecca Agreement."

He said the US, the Zionist regime and certain Western states have imposed sanctions on the legal Palestinian government, adding, "Iran had predicted that continuation of such a situation would lead to tension."

Previous Stories:
  Egypt welcomes Iran call for resumption of ties   (5/28/2007)
  Elham: Iran-Egypt ties to benefit world Muslims   (5/15/2007)
  Egypt welcomes cooperation with Iran   (5/1/2007)

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