TEHRAN – Pakistan FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi responds over the newdevelopments between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has welcomed a readiness byTehran and Riyadh to hold dialogue to reduce tensions.
“We call for clearing up misunderstanding between two brotherly countriesof Iran and Saudi Arabia,” IRNA quoted him as saying on Friday on thesidelines of a press conference in Islamabad.
He added, “Pakistan does not want hatred between Tehran and Riyadh andvisited Iran and Saudi Arabia aiming at conveying message of peace.”
In a tweet, written in Arabic, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said,“Iran is still interested in holding talks with its neighbors. We announceour readiness to participate in any collaborative action to serve theregional interests.”
“We welcome any step which restore hope to the regional people and bringsstability and prosperity,” he added, Tehran Times had reported.
Saudi Foreign Minister Farhan Al Saud told Reuters on Wednesday that Riyadhwas open to talks with Tehran.
Imran Khan, the Pakistani prime minister, visited Riyadh in December 2019as part of continued efforts to mediate between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
This was his fourth visit to Saudi Arabia since May 2019.
Khan visited Tehran on October 13, 2019 to “facilitate” possible dialoguebetween Iran and Saudi Arabia which have been at loggerheads over a numberof issues including the Saudi war on Yemen and Riyadh’s support for Trump’santi-Iran moves.
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Khan met with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei andPresident Hassan Rouhani.
Foreign Minister Qureshi has said that Iran and Saudi Arabia should bridgedifferences.
In an interview with Aaj News in October, Qureshi said that Pakistan willcontinue efforts in line with reducing tension in Iran-Saudi relations.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric has said that UN Secretary General AntonioGuterres welcomes Khan’s initiative to de-escalate tensions between Iranand Saudi Arabia.
Last October the Iranian Foreign Ministry said Tehran is ready for talkswith Saudi Arabia with or without a mediator.
During a joint press conference with Khan in Tehran on October 13, 2019,Rouhani, without mentioning Saudi Arabia, suggested that Iran will give apositive response to “good intention”.
Rouhani said Iran “welcomes efforts by the Pakistani prime minister tosettle tensions in the region” and “restore peace and stability”.
