Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his Iranian peer Mohammad Khatami held talks in Geneva, the first such high-level meeting in 24 years. Mubarak was met by Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi as he arrived for the talks at a hotel in Geneva, where the leaders were attending a UN conference on information technology. The Mubarak-Khatami talks were the first meeting at this level since Egypt and Iran broke diplomatic ties in 1980 after the 1979 Iranian revolution toppled Shah Mohamed Reza Pahlavi, who received asylum in Cairo. "It is a very important meeting and there are a number of bilateral and regional issues to be discussed," Iranian Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi said in Tehran, according to AFP. "I consider this meeting, which is the first between the presidents of the two countries, as very important," Abtahi said. "Cooperation between these two great Islamic countries is important for the region and the Islamic world." **PHOTO CAPTION*** Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (L) shakes hands with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami (R) during a meeting in Geneva December 10, 2003. (REUTERS/POOL/Philippe Desmazes)