A photo published by the Turkish presidency showed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan shaking hands with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi today, Sunday, for the first time on the sidelines of the opening of the FIFA World Cup finals in Qatar.

While an official in the Turkish presidency confirmed on Sunday evening this "first bilateral communication" between the two presidents during the opening ceremony of the tournament, the Egyptian presidency refrained from commenting.

Also, the photo published on the official website of the Turkish presidency showed the two presidents, whose relations have been strained since Sisi assumed the presidency in Egypt, shaking hands and smiling.

The photo is among others showing the exchange of smiles between Erdoğan and heads of state and government who came to Qatar to attend the World Cup opening.