RIYADH, Aug 17, (Agencies): Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud and Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian commended on Thursday bilateral ties, expressing desire to further bolster them during the anticipated visit by President Ebrahim Raisi to the Kingdom. During a joint press conference in Riyadh on the sidelines of Amir-Abdollahian’s first visit to Saudi Arabia, Minister Al-Saud indicated that a variety of issues were discussed during his gathering with his Iranian counterpart.

He affirmed that the visit came as an extension of the Beijing talks on the resumption of relations between the two sides. He expressed Saudi Arabia’s keenness on implementing the tenets of the Beijing accord, reflecting the Kingdom’s desire to activate the security and economic agreements mentioned therein. The Saudi minister also expressed his country’s gratitude towards Iran’s support to the Saudi bid to host the EXPO 2030.

On his part, Amir-Abdollahain commended the noticeable improvement in ties, stressing that it was important to implement the items mentioned in the Beijing agreement. In regards to President Raisi’s possible visit to Saudi Arabia upon the invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the Iranian official said that the President was eager to pay a visit to the Kingdom. Back to the Beijing accord, Amir-Abdollahian said that both countries were eager to establish committees that would focus on implementing the agreement. He expressed that Iran and Saudi Arabia must bolster cooperation within the context of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to achieve further security in the region. The Iranian official also reiterated Iran’s support for Saudi Arabia to host the EXPO 2030.