Iran’s FM Hopes for Expansion of Ties with Saudi Arabia
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in a congratulatory message to his Saudi counterpart, hoped for the promotion of bilateral relations between Tehran and Riyadh.
In his Thursday message, Zarif felicitated Saudi Arabia’s newly-appointed Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed al-Jubeir on his new post.
Zarif expressed the hope that during al-Jubeir’s term, the relations between the two governments and the two nations of Islamic Republic of Iran and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are promoted.
Earlier in September, Zarif, in a meeting with the then Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal, had emphasized that Tehran is seeking to promote friendly relations with all regional countries, including Saudi Arabia, based on mutual trust.
“The Iranian government believes in cooperation and friendship with all regional countries,” Zarif said at the time, adding that Tehran-Riyadh cooperation should be promoted through stronger mutual trust.
“Today, we have common opportunities and threats and (therefore) the resolution of problems as well as looking to the future would be in favor of the entire region,” he noted.
Saud al-Faisal, for his part, commented on his country’s viewpoint on bilateral relations with Tehran and described Iran as a great nation and civilization.
He also stressed that the two countries need each other and mutual cooperation would serve the interests of Islam.
Iran and Saudi Arabia, as the two key regional powers in the Middle East, have tried in recent years to turn their traditional rivalry into cooperation.