Iranian president, Saudi crown prince voice readiness to strengthen cooperation

TEHRAN, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud have expressed shared commitment in a phone conversation to deepening bilateral cooperation, said a statement by the Iranian presidency.
According to the statement released late Sunday, the Iranian president explained that due to pressing domestic duties, he would be unable to attend a special session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League scheduled for Monday in Riyadh. Instead, Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref would represent Iran at the event.
Pezeshkian expressed confidence that the meeting would yield meaningful outcomes in addressing Israel’s operations in the region and the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.
Pezeshkian also highlighted Iran’s readiness to further enhance bilateral relations, aligning with the aspirations of both leaders to expand cooperation across various sectors.
For his part, the Saudi crown prince thanked Pezeshkian for the call, expressing understanding of Iran’s situation and wishing the Iranian leadership success.
Noting that the two countries’ relationship is at a critical juncture, the Saudi crown prince said he hopes the bilateral ties be elevated to the highest level across all fields, and talks on this front would be held with Aref during his visit to Riyadh.
Both leaders expressed readiness to undertake state visits to each other’s countries in the near future.
Saudi Arabia and Iran resumed diplomatic relations in April 2023 with China’s mediation, ending a seven-year freeze on diplomatic relations. ■