Nasser Kan’ani made the remarks during a press briefing in the Iranian capital city of Tehran on Monday.

“We are currently in a good situation and have made good progress on [bilateral] relations. Consultations are positive, and previous meetings between officials [from the two countries] are indicative of the new positive atmosphere,” he said.

He went on to note that a road map has been outlined in light of presidential decrees, face-to-face meetings as well as telephone conversations for the continuation of discussions on settlement of sticking points and final rapprochement between Tehran and Cairo.

“We are optimistic that we will move ahead. We have common areas to hold talks about. Moreover, the issue of Palestine has been discussed by officials from the two countries. Humanitarian institutions, like the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), are in constant contact with Egypt. We will continue our efforts based on the agreement clinched between the two presidents,” Kan’ani pointed out.

Member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, Rakha Ahmad Hassan, said in an interview with the Arabic service of Russia’s Sputnik news agency on December 29 that an exchange of ambassadors between his Northeast African country and Iran is likely to happen soon.

Earlier that month, Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi congratulated his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on securing a third term in office as leader of the Arab world’s most populous nation, hoping for the resolution of existing issues between Tehran and Cairo and the restoration of diplomatic ties.

In the first telephone conversation between the two heads of state in more than four decades, Raeisi warmly felicitated the 69-year-old Egyptian politician on his reelection.

They discussed developments in the Gaza Strip in light of the relentless Israeli strikes, which have killed at least 25,105 people, most of them women and children, and wounded more than 62,000 individuals, and underlined the significance of unity among Muslim countries.

The two presidents also agreed to take tangible steps for the final resolution of issues between Iran and Egypt, and the re-establishment of diplomatic relations.

Egypt severed its diplomatic relations with Iran in 1980 after it welcomed the deposed Pahlavi ruler of Iran and also recognized the apartheid Israeli regime.