Visiting Iranian deputy foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Monday that the Iranian-Egyptian relationship had improved in multiple fields.

"Iran supports and is willing to cooperate with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, the Egyptian government and the Egyptian people," said the Iranian diplomat at a press conference.

He said Morsi's visit to Tehran last August "was strong evidence that both states intend to develop and strengthen bilateral ties on all levels."

During his visit, Abdollahian also held talks with Egyptian and regional officials on the Syrian crisis. He told Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi that granting a seat to the Syrian opposition at the pan-Arab group was a strategic mistake.

Arriving in Cairo on Saturday, Abdollahian started his visit the same day Tehran and Cairo resumed direct flight after 34 years ' suspension.

The Egyptian-Iranian relations were cut off after Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. Bilateral ties started to improve after Egypt's 2011 upheaval toppled former President Hosni Mubarak.

Morsi visited Tehran last August to attend the Non-aligned Movements conference, becoming the first Egyptian president to visit Iran in decades.



Similarly, in February, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became the first Iranian president to visit Egypt in 34 years by attending the summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Cairo.