Spokeswoman Reiterates Tehran's Resolve to Promote Ties with Riyadh
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham voiced Tehran's preparedness to boost bilateral ties with Riyadh, saying that Iran plans to conduct new assessment of mutual ties.
Commenting on the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s plans to strengthen relations with Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Afkham said, “Naturally, as Iran’s new ambassador to Saudi Arabia takes office, there are some plans so that we may have a new assessment of diplomatic activities.”
“In general, Iran’s relations with the regional countries, including Saudi Arabia, are taking their normal course," she said.
Her comment came after Saudi Arabia foreign minister voiced his country's preparedness to develop bilateral ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“We are ready to improve bilateral ties based on common interests, honesty, and openness,” said Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal when receiving the credentials of Iran’s new ambassador to Riyadh Hossein Sadeqi.
The Iranian envoy, for his part, underlined that the promotion of ties with neighbors, Saudi Arabia in particular, sets a priority for Iran's foreign policy.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani hailed Saudi Arabia on September 19, 2013 as a close friend of the Islamic Republic, and expressed both nations’ willingness to smooth over "trivial tensions" that have strained bilateral relations.
He also added that Tehran and Riyadh have a lot of common interests and enjoy regional commonalities, and emphasized the need for upgrading the level of interactions between the two Muslim countries.
Iran and Saudi Arabia, as the two key regional powers, have tried in recent years to turn their traditional rivalry into cooperation.