Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi has congratulated his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on securing a third term in office as leader of the Arab world’s most populous nation, hoping for the resolution of existing issues between Tehran and Cairo and the restoration of diplomatic ties.
In the first telephone conversation between the two heads of state in more than four decades, Raeisi warmly felicitated the 69-year-old Egyptian politician on his reelection.
They discussed developments in the Gaza Strip in light of the relentless Israeli strikes, which have killed more than 20,050 people, most of them women and children, and wounded another 53,320 individuals, and underlined the significance of unity among Muslim countries.
The two presidents also agreed to take tangible steps for the final resolution of issues between Iran and Egypt, and the re-establishment of diplomatic relations.
Sisi was elected for a third term in office, securing 89.6 percent of the vote in the election held between December 10 and 12.
The National Elections Authority head Hazem Badawy said the turnout reached an “unprecedented” 66.8 percent of Egypt's 67 million voters, while over 39 million Egyptians cast their ballots for Sisi, a former army chief who has ruled the country for a decade.
Runner-up Hazem Omar, leader of the Republican People's Party, received just 4.5 percent of the vote.
Egypt severed its diplomatic relations with Iran in 1980 after it welcomed the deposed Pahlavi ruler of Iran and also recognized the apartheid Israeli regime.