Iranian, Egyptian presidents discuss NAM objectives, region

Tehran, Aug 30 (IANS) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi held talks here on Thursday about the objectives of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and regional developments.

Quoting Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian, the semi-official Mehr news agency said the two presidents held talks in a "friendly atmosphere" and reviewed the objectives of the NAM and their concerns, reported Xinhua.

The Islamic republic officially assumed the NAM rotating presidency from Egypt Thursday. At the opening ceremony of the NAM summit in Tehran, Morsi, who arrived here Thursday morning, handed over the NAM's rotating presidency to his Iranian counterpart.

During the meeting, the Iranian president congratulated Morsi for his victory in Egypt's presidential election and Morsi described Iran's presidency over the NAM as an "opportunity" for the movement, Amir-Abdollhian was quoted as saying.

About Iran-Egypt diplomatic relations, the Iranian official said the issue has only been discussed on the ministerial level.

Morsi is the first Egyptian leader to visit Iran since diplomatic ties between the two countries were broken off in the wake of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.

The Egyptian president left Iran after handing over the NAM presidency to Iran, said Mehr.