Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian conferred with Egyptian president.
He held a brief conversation with Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on the sidelines of the 24th African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, ISNA reported on Sunday.
The two officials stressed the common stance of Iran and Egypt in opposing terrorist actions in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria.
He condemned the recent deadly attacks across the Sinai Peninsula mainly on security forces by terrorists who are linked to the so-called Islamic State (IS) and described national consensus and participation of all Egyptian political groups in the government as crucial. The deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs stressed the necessity for promotion of unity in the Muslim world and called for collective action against the extremist terrorists operating in the region.
S. Africa President to Visit
In a separate development, the senior diplomat met South African President Jacob Zuma on Sunday, ISNA reported.
Amir Abdollahian said Iran welcomes the South African president’s visit to Tehran and referred to further expansion of ties between the two countries as Tehran’s top priority.
He also praised the effective efforts by South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane to help promote bilateral relations.
The South African president, for his part, expressed hope that he would be able to visit Tehran in the near future in response to an invitation extended by his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani. Zuma pointed to a meeting of the joint high commission of the two countries which is expected to be held in the near future and expressed satisfaction with the efforts of the two foreign ministries to pave the way for enhanced relations.
The deputy foreign minister also held talks with the South African foreign minister on the fringes of the summit and the two officials discussed issues of mutual interest.
The 24th African Union summit was held in the Ethiopian capital on January 23-31.
