Morsi meets Ahmadinejad; lauds 'strategic partnership'

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi met with his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinajd on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Tehran on Thursday.

According to a statement issued by Ahmadinejad's bureau, Morsi lauded the strategic partnership between Egypt and Iran.

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Ahmadinejad reportedly told the Egyptian president that "the Zionist regime is a threat to the region's nations and the world." He noted that the West makes decisions on alliances according to "long-term interests in the international community" – a hint to Morsi to abandon Egypt's traditional alliance with the West.

Morsi and Ahmadinejad in Tehran

During their meeting, Morsi addressed the ongoing crisis in Syria after recently making statements against Bashar Assad's regime. "The problems in Syria can only be resolved through the mediation of such influential countries in the region as Iran," he said.

"Egypt views Iran as its strategic partner, and we believe that everyone should see to it that the proper conditions for developments in the region exist."

Ahmadinejad, on his part, said that the "region's nations must solve the region's problems themselves. Iran and Egypt have a key role in securing such a solution."

Morsi's visit in Iran is the first by an Egyptian president since the 1979 Islamic Revolution which led the two nations to cut ties.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also met with Ahmadinejad on Thursday. No further details were immediately available.

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