Iran reaction to Morsi's removal 'unacceptable interference': Egypt FM
Ahram Online, Wednesday 10 Jul 2013
Egypt's foreign ministry says Iranian response to president Mohamed Morsi's removal is out of misunderstanding the country's 'democratic developments'


Egypt's foreign ministry has expressed its "strong disapproval" over Iran's reactions to the popularly-backed military deposition of Egypt's Islamist president Mohamed Morsi last week.

"The ministry strongly disapproves of repeated statements issued by Iranian officials, which reflect an insufficient grasp on the nature of the democratic developments Egypt is currently witnessing," a spokesman for the foreign ministry stated Wednesday.

"Such statements represent an unacceptable interference in Egypt's internal affairs," he added.

The foreign ministry statement further called on the Islamist state to "focus on its own internal and external challenges instead of meddling in other countries' internal issues."

The announcement made by Egypt's defence minister Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on 3 July to depose president Morsi - who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood - in response to nationwide mass protests drew varied international responses.

Controversy surrounded whether the move is considered a military coup d'etat against Morsi, who was elected last June as Egypt's first post-Mubarak president.

Over the past week, Iran's statements in response to the Egyptian developments condemned Morsi's overthrow, referring to it as "improper" and "unacceptable."

In one such statement the Islamist nation, shy of describing the move as a coup, called on Morsi's supporters to not give up their quest to reinstate him.

The two nations severed ties after the 1979 Islamic revolution brought to power a theocratic government in Tehran that opposed Egypt's peace treaty with Israel.

Egypt-Iran relations had begun to thaw following Morsi's rise to power, where both presidents exchanged visits and spoke of a new phase in bilateral relations.

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