Last update - 00:00 12/12/2007
Iran, Egypt hold first 'constructive talks' since row over pro-Israel leader's killer
By Reuters
Senior Iranian and Egyptian officials held a rare meeting in Tehran on Wednesday, Iranian state media reported. The talks were the countries' first to be billed as "constructive" since an attempt to restore ties in 2003 broke down over differing attitudes to Israel.
The 2003 talks failed when Iran rejected Egypt's demand that it remove a Tehran memorial of Khaled al-Islambouli, leader of the group which in 1981orchestrated the assassination of Anwar Sadat, the Egyptian leader who made peace with Israel. Iran is fiercely opposed to Israel.
Tehran also still has a street named after Islambouli, however Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad said in May that Tehran was ready to revive ties with Egypt and open an embassy in Cairo, which Egypt's foreign minister described at the time as 'positive'.
Prior to the failed 2003 talks, Iran and Egypt had no diplomatic relations for almost three decades, since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.
On Wednesday, Egyptian Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Derar discussed bilateral, regional and international issues with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, the IRNA news agency said. The meet came in the wake of Ahmadinejad's statement on Tuesday that Iran and Egypt are "two brotherly nations", in which he suggested he would visit Cairo if ties were restored, the official IRNA news agency said.
"Both sides described the talks as constructive and called for the continuation of such talks," it said, adding the Egyptian official delivered a message to Mottaki from Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
In September, Egypt and Iran held talks at a senior level in Cairo on restoring full ties, and Egypt said dialogue would continue. Egypt and Iran maintain interests sections in Tehran and Cairo and their ministers interact at international gatherings, but their senior officials do not often exchange visits.
Iranian media: Saudis invite Ahmadinejad to Mecca for hajj
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has invited Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage, Iran's state-run news agency, IRNA, reported Wednesday.
Iran's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Hosseini, said Ahmadinejad was invited as a special guest to the U.S. ally, IRNA quoted him as saying. The invitation was the first time a Saudi king has officially asked an Iranian president to participate in the pilgrimage, the agency said.
There was no immediate confirmation by Saudi officials of the invitation.
The hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia is a once-in-a-lifetime duty for Muslims, millions of people make the trip annually. The hajj will take place next week, though many people have already started arriving in Mecca.
During a press conference Tuesday, Ahmadinejad said if he would go to the hajj if an invitation was extended.
"It is only respectful to respond positively to an invitation from a brother," he said.
Saudi Arabia, a majority Sunni Muslim country, and other Gulf Arab countries - who are all U.S. allies - have been worried over the increasing regional influence, rival of Shiite-dominated Iran.
But the invitation appeared to reflect a readiness from Saudi Arabia to reach out to its neighbor. It comes about a week after the a U.S. intelligence report said Iran had ended a nuclear weapons program four years ago.
Ahmadinejad visited Saudi Arabia twice this year, first in March and again last month to attend a rare head-of-state summit for the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
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