President Morsi: Egypt should expand ties with Iran

[Serpentine]

(Reuters) - Egypt's Islamist President-elect Mohamed Mursi voiced interest in restoring long-severed ties with Tehran to create a strategic "balance" in the region, in an interview published on Monday with Iran's Fars news agency.

Mursi's comments are likely to unsettle Western powers as they try to isolate Iran over its disputed nuclear programme, which they suspect it is using to develop a nuclear weapons capability. Tehran denies this.

Since former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was toppled by a popular uprising last year, both countries have signaled their interest in renewing ties which were severed more than 30 years ago.

"We must restore normal relations with Iran based on shared interests, and expand areas of political coordination and economic cooperation because this will create a balance of pressure in the region," Mursi was quoted as saying in a transcript of the interview.

Fars said it had spoken to Mursi a few hours before Sunday's announcement that declared him the winner of Egypt's presidential election.

Asked to comment on reports that, if elected, his first state visit would be to Riyadh, Mursi said: "I didn't say such a thing and until now my first international visits following my victory in the elections have not been determined."

Rivalry between Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran has been intensified by the "Arab Spring" revolts, which have redrawn the political map of the Middle East and left the powerful Gulf neighbors vying for influence.

Iran hailed Mursi's victory over former general Ahmed Shafik in Egypt's first free presidential election as a "splendid vision of democracy" that marked the country's "Islamic Awakening".

Western diplomats say in reality Egypt has little real appetite to significantly change relations with Iran, given the substantial issues the new president already has to face in cementing relations with regional and global powers.

"Iran is hoping for Egypt to become a deterrent against an Israeli attack as well as a regional player that Iran can use as a potential counter-balance against Turkey and Saudi Arabia," said a diplomat based in Tehran.

"Egypt, at least under present circumstances, would side with either of these against Iran."

CAMP DAVID REVIEW

In contrast to comments Mursi made in a televised address after his victory was announced on Sunday, Fars news quoted him as saying Egypt's Camp David peace accord with Israel "will be reviewed", without elaborating.

The peace treaty remains a lynchpin of U.S. Middle East policy and, despite its unpopularity with many Egyptians, was staunchly upheld by Mubarak, who also suppressed the Muslim Brotherhood movement to which Mursi belongs.

The Sunni Brotherhood, whose Palestinian offshoot Hamas rules the Gaza Strip, is vehemently critical of Israel, which has watched the rise of Islamists and political upheaval in neighboring Egypt with growing concern.

Egypt's formal recognition of Israel and Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution led in 1980 to the breakdown of diplomatic relations between the two countries, among the biggest and most influential in the Middle East. They currently have reciprocal interest sections, but not at ambassadorial level.

Egypt's foreign minister said last year that Cairo was ready to re-establish diplomatic relations with Iran, which has hailed most Arab Spring uprisings as anti-Western rebellions inspired by its own Islamic Revolution.

Egypt's Mursi keen to renew long-severed Iran ties | Reuters

You can listen to the recorded voice of the interview at the bottom of this page:
http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13910405000223

 

[ihealugo]

i am confused with , everyday he say something :|

but it hope he do that ...

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

The news is only in Fars news and was quoted from this agency by other media presses:
(Reuters) - Egypt's Islamist President-elect Mohamed Mursi voiced interest in restoring long-severed ties with Tehran to create a strategic "balance" in the region, in an interview published on Monday with Iran's Fars news agency.

Anyway, it was denied:
Google translation

The spokesman denied what was attributed to Mercy he said in an interview with the Iranian news agency 'Knight' that he wants to strengthen relations with Iran in order to 'create a strategic balance in the region'.

??? ?????? ???????? - ????? ?????? | ???? ???? ?? ????? ??????? ???? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ??????? ??????

 

[T-Rex]

"You fill up my senses like a night in the forest!"

 

[Serpentine]

The news is only in Fars news and was quoted from this agency by other media presses:
(Reuters) - Egypt's Islamist President-elect Mohamed Mursi voiced interest in restoring long-severed ties with Tehran to create a strategic "balance" in the region, in an interview published on Monday with Iran's Fars news agency.

Anyway, it was denied:
Google translation

The spokesman denied what was attributed to Mercy he said in an interview with the Iranian news agency 'Knight' that he wants to strengthen relations with Iran in order to 'create a strategic balance in the region'.

??? ?????? ???????? - ????? ?????? | ???? ???? ?? ????? ??????? ???? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ??????? ??????

I provided the recorded voice in case some one is blind.
You know Arabic,you can listen to the voice too.I hope you are not deaf.

 

[Luffy 500]

Egypt should first build up a sound economy without pissing of the yankis. A sound industrilization policy involving heavy industries, petrochemical, semiconductors and nano tech should be they way. An economically strong egypt will be in a position to spank
the zionist just like turkey can now. I pray to Allah(swt) for a powerful industrilized egypt and may Allah(swt) grant
MB the power to propel egypt to the future.

 

[Arabian Legend]

CAIRO — The Egyptian presidency on Monday denied that president-elect Mohamed Morsi gave an interview to Iran's Fars news agency, in which he reportedly pledged to strengthen ties with the Islamic republic.
"Mr Morsi did not give any interview to Fars and everything that this agency has published is without foundation," a spokesman for the Egyptian presidency told the official news agency MENA.
Earlier Fars published what it said was an interview with Morsi in which Egypt's first Islamist and democratically elected civilian president said he wanted to build ties with the Islamic republic which were severed in 1980.
Morsi was also quoted as saying by Fars that he would "reconsider" the US-brokered Camp David Accords that led to the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, Iran's nemesis.
"Part of my agenda is the development of ties between Iran and Egypt that will create a strategic balance in the region," Morsi was quoted as saying.
The Islamic republic broke off diplomatic relations with Egypt in 1980, a year after Cairo signed its peace treaty with Israel.
Fars said Morsi gave the interview to one of its reporters in Cairo on Sunday, just before his election triumph was announced.
But in a speech to the Egyptian nation after his victory was confirmed, Morsi pledged to respect international treaties signed by Cairo.
Also on Monday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for stronger ties between Iran and Egypt after Morsi's election victory, the state news agency IRNA news agency reported.
"I congratulate you for your victory as head of Egypt, a friendly and brotherly country," Ahmadinejad said in a statement addressed to Morsi, and "insisted on the the reinforcement of ties between the two countries," IRNA reported.
Morsi succeeds toppled Egyptian veteran president Hosni Mubarak, who never trusted the Islamic republic, which he considered to be a destabilising factor in the Middle East.
Although Iran's predominant faith is Shiite Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood adheres to the Sunni branch of Islam, Tehran has been reaching out to the organisation in Egypt in recent months.

 

[thefreesyrian]

Are the mullah addicted to lying !!?? There will be no relations with the shia republic till they end the sending of shia fighter, weapons, money to syria to commit massacre against sunni

 

[SOHEIL]

Are the mullah addicted to lying !!?? There will be no relations with the shia republic till they end the sending of shia fighter, weapons, money to syria to commit massacre against sunni

.............

 

[Serpentine]

Are the mullah addicted to lying !!?? There will be no relations with the shia republic till they end the sending of shia fighter, weapons, money to syria to commit massacre against sunni

Seriously do you think Assad needs Iranian fighters or guns to beat the crap out of Saudi funded terrorists?You are so naive.

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

I provided the recorded voice in case some one is blind.
You know Arabic,you can listen to the voice too.I hope you are not deaf.

This agency should be named "Lying TV" rather than "Fares-TV". I am just wondering, how much they must be desperate to fake a speach by Egyptian president!?

 

[Serpentine]

This agency should be named "Lying TV" rather than "Fares-TV". I am just wondering, how much they must be desperate to fake a speach by Egyptian president!?

Well done,you proved that you are deaf,because you couldn't hear his speech in the interview.

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

Well done,you proved that you are deaf,because you couldn't hear his speech in the interview.

Egyptian presidency denies Mursi gave interview on stronger ties with Iran

Egypt’s President-elect Mohammed Mursi had been reported to say that he was looking to expand ties with Tehran to create a strategic “balance” in the region. (File photo)

The Egyptian presidency has denied that President-elect Mohammed Mursi gave an interview to Iran's Fars agency on Monday, in which he had been reported to say that he was looking to expand ties with Tehran to create a strategic “balance” in the region.

“Mr. Mursi did not give any interview to Fars and everything that this agency has published is without foundation,” a spokesman for the Egyptian presidency told the official news agency MENA.

Earlier, Fars had quoted him as saying he was interested in better relations with Tehran, Reuters reported. “This will create a balance of pressure in the region, and this is part of my program.”

Fars also quoted Mursi as saying that he wants to “reconsider” the peace deal with Israel, according to AFP. Reuters also quoted Mursi as saying the same statement.

“We will reconsider the Camp David Accord,” Mursi was quoted as telling a Fars reporter in Cairo on Sunday, just before his election triumph was announced.

At the time, Al Arabiya was not able to confirm the report about reconsidering the Camp David treaty with Israel, especially that the President-elect had vowed to respect all international treaties on his first speech to the nation on Sunday night.

Fars had noted that Mursi said the issue of Palestinian refugees returning to homes their families abandoned in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and the 1967 Six-Day War “is very important.”

He added though that “all these issues will be carried out through cabinet and governmental bodies because I will not take any decision on my own.”

Diplomatic relations between Egypt and Iran
Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been severed for more than 30 years, but both sides have signaled a shift in policy since former president Hosni Mubarak was overthrown last year in a popular uprising.

Mursi’s alleged comments were percieved to be unsettling to Western powers as they seek to isolate Iran over its disputed nuclear program, which they suspect Tehran is using to build atomic bombs. They cautiously welcomed the democratic process that led to Mursi’s election, but made clear Egypt’s stability was their main priority.

Fars said he was speaking a few hours before the result of the Egyptian election was announced on Sunday, and that a full version of the interview would be published later.

Mursi’s victory over former general Ahmed Shafiq in Egypt’s first free presidential election was subsequently hailed by Iran as a “splendid vision of democracy” that marked the final phase of an “Islamic Awakening.”

“The foreign ministry of the Islamic Republic of Iran congratulates the victory of the Egyptian nation in these elections and the presidency of Doctor Mohammed Mursi,” it said in a statement on the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA).

Islamic Awakening
“The revolutionary movement of the Egyptian people... is in its final stages of the Islamic Awakening and a new era of change in the Middle East.”

Iran has lauded most Arab Spring uprisings as anti-Western rebellions inspired by its own 1979 Islamic Revolution, which empowered the Shiite clerical establishment.

But it has steadfastly supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Tehran’s closest Arab ally, and at home it has continued to nullify demands for reform, which spilled into the street following the disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009.

“The historic Egyptian nation, with their responsible participation in the momentous election have again proved their determination to realize the noble and justice-seeking ideals of the great revolution of Egypt with a splendid vision of democracy,” the ministry said.

Mainly Sunni Muslim Egypt and predominantly Shiite Iran are among the biggest and most influential countries in the Middle East, but they have had no formal ties since 1980, following Iran’s Islamic Revolution and Egypt’s recognition of Israel.

Western powers accuse Iran, the second-largest oil producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, of concealing a nuclear-weapons program, and the U.S. and Israel have declined to discount the possibility of military strikes against the country’s atomic facilities. Iran, a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty maintains its nuclear work is peaceful and intended to generate electricity.

There has been an exchange of warnings between Iran and Israel over the past months; each threatening to strike the other in case of any military attack.

Any tie-up between Egypt and Iran would alarm Israel and its ally the United States.

Difficult new reality
Israeli media, meanwhile, expressed almost unanimous concern on Monday about the victory of Mursi, warning of a difficult new reality.

“Darkness in Egypt,” read the headline of the top-selling Yediot Aharonot newspaper, with commentator Smadar Peri writing inside the newspaper that Mursi’s victory was a dangerous development for Israel.

“From our standpoint, when the presidential palace in Cairo is painted for the first time in Islamic colors, this is a black and dark day,” she wrote.

Elsewhere in the same newspaper, analyst Alex Fishman wrote that Mursi’s victory meant “everything is open, and the future is unclear,” according to AFP.

“Israel should be prepared for every eventuality,” he wrote, evoking the possibility of “an Islamist intelligence minister, a re-examination of the peace accords, a collapse of the economic agreements and lack of security coordination.”

“The new Middle East. The fear has become reality, the Muslim Brotherhood are in power in Egypt,” lamented the Maariv daily.

“The peace treaty has been put in doubt,” the paper wrote, adding that “there is very serious concern in the political and military class in Israel because Egypt is the largest of its neighbors and has decisive influence on the Arab world.”

Yaakov Katz, writing in the English-language Jerusalem Post, took a more pragmatic view, offering the “good news (that) in the short term nothing is expected to change.”

“Egypt’s president-elect will have far greater challenges to deal with than to pick a fight with the Jewish state,” Katz wrote, pointing to the Egypt’s dire economic predicament in the post-uprising period.

But he said Mursi’s election had altered Israel’s defense realities, and could “affect the growing terror threat in Sinai,” as well as “hinder Israel’s operational freedom the next time there is a flare-up... in Gaza.”

The left-leaning Haaretz devoted most of its front page to Mursi’s victory, noting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement on Sunday night saying the Jewish state “respects the results.”

“Israel hopes to continue cooperation with the Egyptian government on the basis of the peace treaty,” the statement from Netanyahu’s office said.

 

[Serpentine]

Egyptian presidency denies Mursi gave interview on stronger ties with Iran

Egypt’s President-elect Mohammed Mursi had been reported to say that he was looking to expand ties with Tehran to create a strategic “balance” in the region. (File photo)

The Egyptian presidency has denied that President-elect Mohammed Mursi gave an interview to Iran's Fars agency on Monday, in which he had been reported to say that he was looking to expand ties with Tehran to create a strategic “balance” in the region.

“Mr. Mursi did not give any interview to Fars and everything that this agency has published is without foundation,” a spokesman for the Egyptian presidency told the official news agency MENA.

Earlier, Fars had quoted him as saying he was interested in better relations with Tehran, Reuters reported. “This will create a balance of pressure in the region, and this is part of my program.”

Fars also quoted Mursi as saying that he wants to “reconsider” the peace deal with Israel, according to AFP. Reuters also quoted Mursi as saying the same statement.

“We will reconsider the Camp David Accord,” Mursi was quoted as telling a Fars reporter in Cairo on Sunday, just before his election triumph was announced.

At the time, Al Arabiya was not able to confirm the report about reconsidering the Camp David treaty with Israel, especially that the President-elect had vowed to respect all international treaties on his first speech to the nation on Sunday night.

Fars had noted that Mursi said the issue of Palestinian refugees returning to homes their families abandoned in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and the 1967 Six-Day War “is very important.”

He added though that “all these issues will be carried out through cabinet and governmental bodies because I will not take any decision on my own.”

Diplomatic relations between Egypt and Iran
Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been severed for more than 30 years, but both sides have signaled a shift in policy since former president Hosni Mubarak was overthrown last year in a popular uprising.

Mursi’s alleged comments were percieved to be unsettling to Western powers as they seek to isolate Iran over its disputed nuclear program, which they suspect Tehran is using to build atomic bombs. They cautiously welcomed the democratic process that led to Mursi’s election, but made clear Egypt’s stability was their main priority.

Fars said he was speaking a few hours before the result of the Egyptian election was announced on Sunday, and that a full version of the interview would be published later.

Mursi’s victory over former general Ahmed Shafiq in Egypt’s first free presidential election was subsequently hailed by Iran as a “splendid vision of democracy” that marked the final phase of an “Islamic Awakening.”

“The foreign ministry of the Islamic Republic of Iran congratulates the victory of the Egyptian nation in these elections and the presidency of Doctor Mohammed Mursi,” it said in a statement on the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA).

Islamic Awakening
“The revolutionary movement of the Egyptian people... is in its final stages of the Islamic Awakening and a new era of change in the Middle East.”

Iran has lauded most Arab Spring uprisings as anti-Western rebellions inspired by its own 1979 Islamic Revolution, which empowered the Shiite clerical establishment.

But it has steadfastly supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Tehran’s closest Arab ally, and at home it has continued to nullify demands for reform, which spilled into the street following the disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009.

“The historic Egyptian nation, with their responsible participation in the momentous election have again proved their determination to realize the noble and justice-seeking ideals of the great revolution of Egypt with a splendid vision of democracy,” the ministry said.

Mainly Sunni Muslim Egypt and predominantly Shiite Iran are among the biggest and most influential countries in the Middle East, but they have had no formal ties since 1980, following Iran’s Islamic Revolution and Egypt’s recognition of Israel.

Western powers accuse Iran, the second-largest oil producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, of concealing a nuclear-weapons program, and the U.S. and Israel have declined to discount the possibility of military strikes against the country’s atomic facilities. Iran, a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty maintains its nuclear work is peaceful and intended to generate electricity.

There has been an exchange of warnings between Iran and Israel over the past months; each threatening to strike the other in case of any military attack.

Any tie-up between Egypt and Iran would alarm Israel and its ally the United States.

Difficult new reality
Israeli media, meanwhile, expressed almost unanimous concern on Monday about the victory of Mursi, warning of a difficult new reality.

“Darkness in Egypt,” read the headline of the top-selling Yediot Aharonot newspaper, with commentator Smadar Peri writing inside the newspaper that Mursi’s victory was a dangerous development for Israel.

“From our standpoint, when the presidential palace in Cairo is painted for the first time in Islamic colors, this is a black and dark day,” she wrote.

Elsewhere in the same newspaper, analyst Alex Fishman wrote that Mursi’s victory meant “everything is open, and the future is unclear,” according to AFP.

“Israel should be prepared for every eventuality,” he wrote, evoking the possibility of “an Islamist intelligence minister, a re-examination of the peace accords, a collapse of the economic agreements and lack of security coordination.”

“The new Middle East. The fear has become reality, the Muslim Brotherhood are in power in Egypt,” lamented the Maariv daily.

“The peace treaty has been put in doubt,” the paper wrote, adding that “there is very serious concern in the political and military class in Israel because Egypt is the largest of its neighbors and has decisive influence on the Arab world.”

Yaakov Katz, writing in the English-language Jerusalem Post, took a more pragmatic view, offering the “good news (that) in the short term nothing is expected to change.”

“Egypt’s president-elect will have far greater challenges to deal with than to pick a fight with the Jewish state,” Katz wrote, pointing to the Egypt’s dire economic predicament in the post-uprising period.

But he said Mursi’s election had altered Israel’s defense realities, and could “affect the growing terror threat in Sinai,” as well as “hinder Israel’s operational freedom the next time there is a flare-up... in Gaza.”

The left-leaning Haaretz devoted most of its front page to Mursi’s victory, noting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement on Sunday night saying the Jewish state “respects the results.”

“Israel hopes to continue cooperation with the Egyptian government on the basis of the peace treaty,” the statement from Netanyahu’s office said.

And why should we believe this bs from an anonymous unnamed spokesman?
Who says your source is telling the truth?

 

[Homajon]

I have seen a lot of times here that articles are posted without the link.

I'm new here, so I have a silly question:

Is it normal in this forum, to posts articles without posting the link?