Iranian president arrives in Cairo in 11-year first

​​​​​​​

By Ibrahim Khazen

CAIRO (AA) — Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Cairo late Wednesday in the first presidential visit from his country to Egypt in nearly 11 years.

According to state-run Iranian News Agency IRNA, Pezeshkian “is due to address the D-8 summit of heads of state on Thursday, which will discuss political and economic developments in the Islamic world.”

He will also deliver a speech at a conference on the Gaza war and challenges related to reconstruction in the Palestinian enclave, as well as Lebanon.

The duration of his visit has not been disclosed.

As part of his visit, Pezeshkian will also "hold bilateral talks with some officials of the participating countries in the Cairo summits," IRNA reported.

Pezeshkian's trip is the first of its kind by an Iranian president to Egypt since February 2013, when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Cairo for the first official visit at that rank since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The toppling of the Iranian shah had led to the severing of diplomatic ties with Egypt in 1980. Relations were later restored at the charge d'affaires level.

In May 2023, then-President Ebrahim Raisi directed Iran’s Foreign Ministry to take "necessary measures" to enhance relations with Egypt, according to Iran's Tasnim News Agency.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala