Iran seeks to bolster economic ties as it meets with Turkey and Egypt

Araghchi met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egypt’s Badr Abdel Aaty on Wednesday.

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN DECEMBER 19, 2024 12:35 Updated: DECEMBER 19, 2024 12:37

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi gives a briefing on the sidelines of a UN event in Lisbon, Portugal, November 27, 2024. (photo credit: REUTERS/PEDRO NUNES)

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Turkish and Egyptian counterparts in Cairo. The meetings were part of the D-8 Organization of Economic Cooperation event in Egypt.

This is important because it illustrates yet another organization that brings together various countries, such as Iran, with countries backed by the West, such as Egypt and Turkey. Israel, as usual, is excluded from these events.

Araghchi met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egypt’s Badr Abdel Aaty on Wednesday. Iran, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, Nigeria, Malaysia, and Bangladesh are members of D-8.

An important block of countries

This is an important block of countries that are meeting on Thursday. Iran has moved to join other economic blocks as well, such as BRICS and the SCO, which links Iran to Russia and China. This is all part of Iran’s goal of working with non-Western countries.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Cairo on Wednesday, Iranian state media IRNA reported.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a news conference in Baghdad, Iraq December 6, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/Mustafa Khasaf)

This illustrates the weight that Iran places on this meeting. Iran’s foreign minister also met with Pakistan’s Mohammad Ishaq Dar, who is Pakistan's deputy prime minister and foreign minister.

“Both officials expressed satisfaction with the growing bilateral relations and the increase in high-level exchanges in political and economic spheres between Iran and Pakistan,” IRNA reported.

“While expressing solidarity with the oppressed Palestinian people, Senator Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s principled stance on supporting Palestine. The meeting marks the third discussion between the foreign ministers of Iran and Pakistan in less than two months,” the report added.