Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry.

:: The Egyptian foreign ministry responded to Iran’s statements about Egypt’s policy in the Middle East and which an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson described as “wrong.”

Ahmed Abu Zeid, the Egyptian foreign ministry spokesperson, said stability in the Middle East is one of Egypt’s most important foreign policy goals, adding that maintaining Arab national security and the safety of Arab countries, particularly Gulf countries, is a basic pillar in terms of the region’s stability.

Abu Zeid added that Egypt has always voiced the importance of not interfering in other countries’ internal affairs and of having good neighbor relations, rejecting sectarianism and combating all forms of terrorism and extremism. He added that all this serves the stability of the Middle East and the Arab world and enhances peaceful co-existence between the region’s people on the basis of mutual respect and interests.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasimi had said that Egypt did not play a good role in securing the region’s stability, adding that Cairo’s policies were “wrong.”

He also said that Iran and Egypt have several things in common and that Cairo must play a bigger role regarding stability in the Middle East.