Iran, Egypt in high-level talks

Iran and Egypt have held their highest-level talks since the countries severed diplomatic ties more than twenty years ago.

The Iranian Foreign Minister, Kamal Kharrazi, described his meeting with the Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, as very good and indicated it might pave the way to the restoration of diplomatic relations between the countries.

Iran cut its ties with Egypt in 1979 after Cairo signed a peace treaty with Israel, but recent years have sen an improvement in their relations.

Last year their presidents spoke by telephone for the first time since 1979, and the countries now have interests sections in each other's capitals. Mr Kharrazi is in Egypt for a meeting of the D-8 group of developing Islamic nations.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service