TEHRAN - Iran's Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Ezzatollah Zarghami has said that the Islamic Republic is considering restoring tourism ties with Egypt.

Expanding tourism ties with Egypt is a useful way to strengthen bonds between the two nations, Zarghami said in an interview with IRNA on Friday.

A study on the restoration of tourism ties with Egypt has begun, he said, adding that the outcomes await the diplomatic decision of the foreign ministry.

Zarghami said expanding tourism relations with foreign countries and facilitating travel to Iran is a priority for his ministry, which has suggested a visa waiver plan with 68 countries to the government.

Recently, the first group of Russian travelers visited Iran under a [bination] visa-free agreement and paved the way for the rest, he added.

Referring to a recent ceremony held in Riyadh to celebrate World Tourism Day, Zarghami said that his deputy Maryam Jalali Dehkordi attended the event and proposed the formation of a working group to abolish visa requirements between the two nations.

Earlier this year, Cairo and Tehran held several rounds of talks in Baghdad to discuss normalizing relations, which soured following Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

AFM