President Masoud Pezeshkian underscored the necessity of consolidating cohesion in Islamic world, calling for the expansion of bilateral cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia in all sectors to help resolve regional issues.
In a meeting with Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud in Tehran on Thursday, President Pezeshkian pointed to deep religious, cultural and historical commonalities among Muslim nations, emphasizing the need for strengthening Islamic unity.
The president described cohesion among Islamic countries as the prerequisite to peace, security and sustainable economic development in the region, stating that dispute and poverty in Muslim nations are not appropriate for the Islamic Ummah.
He noted that heads of Islamic nations can present an inspiring example of co-existence, welfare and progress for other societies. The Islamic Republic of Iran is fully ready to expand its ties with Saudi Arabia in all arenas, Pezeshkian added.
He welcomed the formation of joint working groups in political, economic and security affairs, mentioning that Iran and Saudi Arabia can rely on their common capacities to resolve regional issues without any foreign intervention. Pezeshkian hoped that the friendship between the two nations will consolidate interests of the Islamic world and dissuade adversaries of interfering and sowing discord among Muslim countries.
The Iranian president expressed readiness to host Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud in Tehran.
Further in his remarks, the president pointed to the plight of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, saying that if Islamic states achieve real unity, the Zionist regime would not be able to create such a humanitarian catastrophe in the besieged area.
In turn, the Saudi minister conveyed warm greetings of the Saudi King and Crown Prince to the Iranian president, describing his meetings with Iran’s officials as positive and constructive.
Prince Khalid said that the root cause of problems in the Islamic world is the lack of unity, underlining that Iran and Saudi Arabia are two main pillars of the region; thus, their strong relationship can play an effective role in enhancing convergence and synergy in West Asia.
According to the prince, Saudi officials are keen on visiting Iran as soon as possible. Tehran and Riyadh have common stance on developments in Gaza and Palestine. The Israeli regime’s acts in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria indicate that it attempts to misuse the existing vacuums in the region.
On behalf of the Saudi King and Crown Prince, he also invited President Pezeshkian to visit Saudi Arabia, adding that the Saudi authorities are ready to expand cooperation with Iran in all sectors.