Within next 45 days, first direct flight between Tehran, Cairo: Tasnim
In a step of rapprochement, Tehran and Cairo will exchange their first flight in the next 45 days.
The Air Travel and Tourism Services Syndicate has indicated that the first group of Iranian tourists will arrive in Egypt over the next 45 days, according to Tasnim News Agency.
The first flight will be launched between Tehran and Cairo. It went on to say that after the consulate opens, Iraq will no longer be used as an intermediary country because it adds time, money, and so on.
The Syndicate's Chairman indicated that the Director General of Egypt's Ministry of Tourism will arrive in Tehran next week. He added that during his visit to Egypt last week, he spoke with government and business sector executives involved in Egyptian tourism.
Moreover, he stated that there were conversations held with Egypt and mediated by Iraq while expressing his hope that the icy political relations between Tehran and Cairo would soon melt.
Iran-Egypt rapprochement
In a report published by Responsible Statecraft on June 2, it is reported that after years of friction between Egypt and Iran, the two appear to be entering a new chapter in their relations. News broke about Tehran and Cairo's plans to exchange ambassadors later this year and arrange a meeting between their presidents.
As the region shapes new bilateral relations, regional dynamics, and national interests, Tehran and Cairo are strengthening ties. “There have been many efforts in the past to normalize relations between Cairo and Tehran, but they have all failed for a variety of reasons,” according to Trita Parsi, the Quincy Institute’s executive vice president and an expert on Iranian diplomacy.
A day earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said there are no conflicts between Cairo and Tehran: noting that Iran welcomes any initiative to improve bilateral relations, in an interview with Iranian state television.
In the interview, he also commended former president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's foreign policy in the region which he described as "logical and correct".
He also added that during the recent visit of the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, different regional and international topics including the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Egypt, and the nuclear negotiations were discussed.
"The Sultan of Oman conveyed Cairo's view towards the normalization of relations, and Tehran welcomes any initiative to develop them, based on the common interests between Iran and Egypt," he added.
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Last year, Amir-Abdollahian noted that increasing negotiations between Egypt and Iran is in both countries' interests, despite the fact that Iran has had no direct conversations with the Egyptian side at the time.