Egyptian FM expresses hope for expansion of ties with Tehran

Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Ali Aboul Gheit in Iran today hoped that during his current visit to Tehran he would hold talks with Iranian officials on expansion of mutual relations.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 9th meeting of foreign ministers of Iraq's neighboring states plus Egypt, he said "We always seize the opportunity for talks with Iranian officials on expansion of mutual relations and we hope during the current visit such talks would be held between the two sides." The foreign ministers of Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Egypt are the main participants in the Tehran meeting.

Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's special representative for Iraq, Ashraf Qazi, are among other participants.

Observers following up regional developments attach special importance to the Tehran meeting as it comes in the wake of the establishment of the first popular government in Iraq under Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and efforts to achieve national reconciliation in the war-torn country.