World

An Egyptian presidential official says President Mohammed Morsi will attend a summit of non-aligned nations in Iran end of the month, in the first such visit in decades.

The visit could mark a thaw in relations between Egypt and Iran after years of enmity, especially since Egypt signed its 1979 peace treaty with Israel and the Islamic revolution in Iran.

Under Morsi's predecessor Hosni Mubarak, Egypt sided with Saudi Arabia and other Sunni-dominated Arab nations in trying to isolate Shiite-led Iran.

The presidential official says Morsi will visit Tehran on Aug. 30 on his way back from China to attend the Non-Aligned Movement Summit. Egypt will transfer the bloc's rotating leadership to Iran.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of he was not authorized to make the announcement now.