Cairo will re-open its embassy in Baghdad soon, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said during an unannounced visit to Iraq on Sunday, the first visit to the country by a high-level Egyptian official since 2003. The statement by Abul Gheit came during a press conference which was held after meeting his counterpart Hoshyar Zebari, the Egyptian state Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported. The last Egyptian envoy to Iraq, Ehab el-Sherif, was kidnapped and killed shortly after he arrived in 2005. Zebari described the visit of his Egyptian counterpart as "historic." The Iraqi foreign minister said that the visit was a first step towards restoring full Arab diplomatic representation to Iraq and a sign of improved security conditions in Iraq, MENA reported. Zebari also referred to the political weight of Egypt which according to him will help Iraq reintegrate in the Arab world. Both foreign ministers insisted that the visit had been planned well ahead. Among those accompanying Abul Gheit was Minister of Petroleum Sameh Fahmy. Both ministers also met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
