Iran’s president to visit to Egypt in 11 years for D-8 summit

The spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced that President Masoud Pezeshkian plans to travel to Egypt on Wednesday for the upcoming D-8 summit, the first visit by an Iranian president in 11 years.

News ID: 5608

Date: 18 December 2024 - 09:45

TABNAK, Dec 18: Esmaeil Baghaei also said that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi departed for Cairo on Tuesdayfor the D-8 ministerial meeting scheduled for December 18.

The ministerial conference is hosting foreign ministers from eight Islamic developing countries—including Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, Indonesia, Nigeria, Malaysia, and Bangladesh and is held a day before the D-8 summit in order to finalize its documents.

He also noted that the D-8 summit will be held on Thursday, with the participation of the presidents from the eight participating Muslim countries.

According to Baghaei, "Investing in Youth and Supporting Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Shaping the Future Economy” has been established as the central theme of this meeting.

The D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, also known as Developing-8, is an organization for development cooperation among Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey.

Egypt will host the 11th D-8 Summit on December 19, 2024.

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attended a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Cairo in 2013 and met with then-Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi.

Egypt severed diplomatic relations with Iran in 1980, as shifts widened between the two following the Islamic Revolution in Iran and Egypt’s recognition of Israel. The move came after Egypt welcomed the deposed US-backed Pahlavi ruler.

However, since Egypt’s longtime strongman Hosni Mubarak was toppled in a popular uprising in 2011, there has been a warming of relations between Iran and Egypt.

In recent years, particularly amid the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza, diplomatic contacts between the two countries have intensified as Egypt has tried to play a mediating role.