Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said on Wednesday that his country sought to normalize diplomatic relations with Iran through "constructive consultations," the official MENA news agency reported.

 

Asked about the prospects of normalizing diplomatic relations to the ambassadorial level between Egypt and Iran, Abul Gheit said, "we seek to normalize relations with Tehran through constructive consultations."

 

On Tuesday, visiting Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with senior Egyptian foreign ministry officials on boosting bilateral ties.

 

The two sides agreed on resuming dialogue, especially in terms of bilateral relations on the level of senior officials and then foreign ministers of the two countries, the foreign ministry said in a press release following the meeting.

 

Abul Gheit said he would meet Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki at the deliberations of the Non Aligned Movement or Group of 15 meetings or any others, but ruling out talks between them on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings."

 

Until this moment, there is no plan for holding a meeting between me and my Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York," Abul Gheit was quoted as saying.

 

As for Iran's disputed nuclear issue, Abul Gheit said Egypt supports a peaceful settlement, expressing Egypt's full rejection of any military action against Iran.

 

"Egypt supports a peaceful settlement to Iran's nuclear file through negotiations that would allow Iran to use atomic energy for peaceful purposes in accordance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty," he said.

 

Bilateral relations between Egypt and Iran, which were frozen after the Iranian revolution in 1979, have witnessed a gradual resumption in recent years.

 

(Xinhua News Agency September 20, 2007)