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Iran urges expansion of ties with Saudi Arabia

Xinhua, January 26, 2015 Adjust font size:

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called for the expansion of relations between Tehran and Riyadh as Saudi Arabia's new King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ascends to the throne, Press TV reported on Sunday.

Congratulating King Salman on his succession to throne in a letter issued on Saturday, Rouhani said "I hope that in the time lying ahead, with regard to the religious and historical bonds between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the relations between the two countries will expand in all areas of mutual interest."

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif said Iran and Saudi Arabia need to find a joint solution to help tackle problems in the Middle East region.

"We hope that the (new) Saudi government would adopt a good neighborly approach based on the facts on the ground to pave the way for further cooperation in the very sensitive region of the Middle East," Zarif said.

"There is no obstacle to cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The two countries need to come up with a joint solution to regional problems," he was quoted as saying by Press TV.

He also expressed the hope that both Islamic states will be able to establish stability and security in the region in cooperation with neighboring states without any foreign interference.

Last week, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said Iran was ready to engage in a frank dialogue with Saudi Arabia over diverse issues.

The policy of the Islamic republic was to launch "open, transparent and inclusive talks" with Saudi Arabia, Shamkhani was quoted as saying by Press TV.

Talks between the two regional powers could include all issues of mutual interest, Shamkhani said, adding that the current turbulent situation in the Muslim world necessitates a more "pragmatic contribution" by governments like Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Such a cooperation must lead to an in-depth, serious and honest confrontation with extremism and "terrorism" like that of the so-called Islamic State (IS), he added.

Iran and Saudi Arabia are divided over a number of regional issues, including the situations in Syria, Bahrain, Iraq and Yemen. Endit