CAIRO - Egyptian-Iranian ties have not been negatively affected by a spying case that resulted in the expulsion of an Iranian diplomat from Cairo, an Iranian diplomat said on Wednesday. "Egyptian officials held talks with their Iranian counterparts after the spy case was uncovered. Also an Egyptian delegation visited Tehran. Another delegation of Egyptian businessmen is expected in Iran soon," said Tawfiq Khoshkho, a diplomat working with the Iranian diplomatic mission in Cairo. He added that his country understood "pressure on Egypt over restoring its ties with the Islamic Republic". An Iranian diplomat was expelled from Cairo late last month after being detained on spying charges by Egyptian security bodies. Meanwhile, Gamal Zahran, a professor of politics and a member of the Egyptian delegation who has recently visited Tehran, filed a report to Chief Prosecutor Abdel Meguid Mahmoud urging authorities to release results of the investigations with the Iranian diplomat. "Applying the transparency principle, investigations with the Iranian diplomat should be released," said Zahran. He added that restoring ties with Iran would help both countries as well as stability and security in the region. "Around two million Iranian tourists could visit Egypt every year in case full ties resume," said Zahran. After the collapse of Hosni Mubarak's regime, the Iranian and Egyptian officials voiced their interest in the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries and Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi officially invited his Egyptian counterpart Nabil el-Arabi to pay a visit to Tehran. Iran severed ties with Egypt in 1979 after Cairo signed a peace treaty with Israel and offered asylum to Iran's deposed shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
