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The Cairo-Tehran Axis

Iranian foreign affairs minister hand-delivers note to Egypt’s Morsi

Ahmadinejad and Morsi / AP
January 10, 2013

Iran’s foreign affairs minister was in Egypt today to deliver a personal note from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, according to Iranian and Egyptian reports.

Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Akbar Salehi landed in Cairo Thursday with Ahmadinejad’s missive, according to Iran’s Mehr News Agency.

Egyptian and Iranian officials have been discussing ways to increase bilateral relations. Thursday’s meeting between senior officials is viewed as signs of a tighter relationship between Tehran and Cairo.

Ahmadinejad invited Morsi to visit Iran in his missive to the Muslim Brotherhood-backed Morsi, according to Iran’s Press TV.

"Egypt's foreign ministry said that Salehi and [Egyptian] Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr ‘exchanged views on the Syrian crisis and means of finding a solution’ to the conflict which the UN says has killed more than 60,000 people," Egypt’s Ahram Online reported.

Morsi is reported to have "expressed satisfaction over the meeting with the Iranian delegation and called for cooperation between the two countries at different levels," Press TV stated following the powwow.

The two countries continue to discuss ways they can address the ongoing violence in Syria, where President Bashar al-Assad is accused of killing thousands of civilians.

Iran remains a stalwart supporter of Assad’s regime.