Morsi’s Fars News Agency interview

Iran’s Fars News Agency reports on an interview with Egypt’s newly-elected president. (Note: The Guardian reports “Fars is linked to the revolutionary guards controlled by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. But now the Islamic Republic News Agency, linked to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is reporting a denial of the story from Morsi’s spokesman.)

Part 1: Egypt’s newly-elected President Mohammed Mursi underlined his enthusiasm for the further expansion of ties with Iran, and said relations between Tehran and Cairo will create a strategic balance in the region.

“The issue will create a strategic balance in the region,” Mursi told FNA on Sunday, hours before the final results of the presidential election was announced.

Part 2: Mursi voiced strong protest at the [ruling military] council’s forced dissolution and closure of the parliament, and said the move was aimed at hitting a blow to the Islamist candidate in the presidential election.

“The dissolution of Majlis al-Sha’b (parliament) targeted me,” Mursi said in an interview with FNA, adding, “When the generals saw that I have come close to the presidential post, they attempted to take away certain authorities in their own interest.”

He also dismissed the SCAF’s decision to issue a supplement to the Constitution, and said, “The military council is not entitled to issue an amendment to the Constitution and we reject the Constitutional declaration which disclaims the elected president’s authorities.”

His remarks came after Egypt’s military told parliament earlier this month that it has been dissolved and banned its members from entering the house.

Part 3: Mursi rejected rumors claiming that the country’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) seeks to decrease his presidency term to one year.

“Such comments are not correct since the new Constitution will be compiled by the elected Constituent Assembly which was formed one day before the parliament’s dissolution and no one can ever cancel the presidential election,” Mursi said…

Part 4: Mursi rejected rumors and media news about paying his first foreign trip to Saudi Arabia, stressing that no such visit is on his agenda.

“I have said nothing so and my first international trips after victory in presidential election have not yet been specified,” Mursi said in an exclusive interview with FNA on Sunday.

“My visit to Saudi Arabia was an issue proposed by a number of young people and not an official plan,” he added.

Asked about his future plan for relations with the regional countries, Mursi said, “(My plan) is establishment of relations with all countries of the region to revive Egypt’s identity in the region through economic cooperation among the Arab countries and making certain reforms in the Arab League to activate its role on the international scene and beside that, supporting the Palestinian nation in its legitimate campaign for materializing its rights.”

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