Egyptian President-elect Mohammed Morsy is looking to expand ties with Tehran to create a strategic "balance" in the region, according to an interview with Iran's semi-official Fars news agency published Monday.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been severed for more than 30 years, but both sides have signalled a shift in policy since former president Hosni Mubarak was overthrown last year in a popular uprising.
Fars quoted him as saying he was interested in better relations with Tehran. "This will create a balance of pressure in the region, and this is part of my program."
Asked to comment on reports that, if elected, his first state visit would be to Iran's regional arch-rival Saudi Arabia, Morsy 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".
Fars said he was speaking a few hours before the results of the Egyptian election were announced on Sunday.
Morsy's comments on Iran came just prior to his first speech since his election win, during which he vowed to "preserve international accords and obligations," in what appeared to be a reference to the peace treaty with Israel.
Morsy attempted to allay fears that he would immediately act to Islamize Egypt, promising to be a president to all Egyptians, "Muslims, Christians, the elderly, children, women, men, farmers, teachers, workers, those who work in the private and public sectors, and the merchants."
The new Egyptian president thanked the "martyrs" that had lost their lives during the uprising that led to the ouster of former president Hosni Mubarak, saying the he would not have become president without their sacrifice.
Morsy did not call out a challenge to Egypt's military leaders for their recent attempts to limit presidential powers, instead praising the army and police as "brothers."
Morsy defeated former Mubarak prime minister and general Ahmed Shafik in a run-off last weekend by a convincing 3.5 percentage points, or nearly 900,000 votes, taking 51.7 percent of the total, officials said. It ended a week of disputes over the count that had frayed nerves.
Jerusalem Post
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