Ahmadinejad chairs Islamic summit

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

flickr-Daniella Zalcman

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is set to briefly attend the 12th summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Cairo on invitation by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.

Ahmadinejad is the first Iranian head of state to make an official visit to Egypt in 30 years.

The invitation was extended after Morsi was invited to Tehran by Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi.

The summit is expected to address the "Palestinian cause," the Syrian crisis, ways of combating poverty, the situations in Afghanistan and Somalia as well as Islamophobia.

Ahmadinejad takes part in the summit in his capacity as rotating chairman for the Non-Aligned Movement, which comprises nearly two-thirds of the member states of the UN General Assembly. 

Relations between Egypt and Iran have been improving in recent months, against the background of the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak and the founding of an Islamist government in Cairo. During Mubarak's time in office, relations between both countries were almost non-existent.