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Iran seeks expansion of all-round ties with Saudi Arabia

22 September 2014 20:25 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Iran expects its ties with Saudi Arabia to be expanded in future, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said here on Monday in a congratulatory message to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on the country's National Day, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

In the congratulatory message, Rouhani wished "health" for Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah and "success and prosperity" for the Saudi nation, according to Iranian presidential website.

He also expressed hope that "the brotherly relations between the two Islamic, neighboring countries will be further strengthened day after day."

Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif said the recent meeting with his Saudi counterpart Prince Saud al- Faisal is expected to open a "new chapter" in the ties between the two countries, Iranian government's website reported on Monday.

"Both Saudi foreign minister and I believe that this meeting will open a new page in our two countries' relations," Zarif said after the meeting with Prince Saud al-Faisal in New York on Sunday, adding that "We hope this new chapter will help the establishment of regional and global peace and stability."

"We are aware of the importance and sensitivity of this crisis, " Saud al-Faisal said following their discussions on threats by the Islamic State (IS) which the two major Muslim states are equally facing.

"The crisis can be dealt with successfully using the existing opportunities and avoiding the mistakes made in the past," Saud al- Faisal said, adding that the cooperation between the two influential countries, Iran and Saudi Arabia, will be helpful for the peace and security in the region and the world.

As the two regional rivals, both Iran and Saudi Arabia are major oil and gas exporters which have clashed over energy policy. Saudi Arabia, with its large oil reserves and smaller population, has a greater interest in taking a long-term view of the global oil market and incentive to moderate prices. In contrast, Iran is compelled to focus on high prices in the short term due to its people's hard living conditions given by the western sanctions over its sensitive nuclear program.

Iran and Saudi Arabia have also major differences over several regional issues, including the situation in Syria and Bahrain, Yemen, Iraq and Iran's nuclear program.

However, both countries have welcomed negotiations to help resolve regional problems, clear misunderstandings and further expand bilateral relations.

Last month, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian described his meeting with Prince Saud al-Faisal in Jeddah over IS threats as "positive and constructive."

Iran welcomes the establishment of good relations with neighboring states including Saudi Arabia as one of the most influential countries in the Islamic world, Zarif said, adding that Iran and Saudi Arabia are facing common threats posed by the emergence of extremism and violence in the region.