Iran FM : Talks With Saudi Counterpart Transparent, Good

Tehran, May 14, IRNA – Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Monday evening that talks with his Saudi counterpart Saud al-Faisal was ˈgood and transparentˈ. Salehi made the remarks while speaking to reporters prior to his departure for Tehran at the end of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia. He was in the peninsula upon an official invitation of his Saudi counterpart and also in order to attend a meeting of the contact group of member states of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the ongoing crisis in Mali. He expressed hope that new chapter would be open in Tehran-Riyadh ties following negotiations held between the two foreign ministers. ˈAny change in bilateral relations requires patience,ˈ Salehi said. The OIC meeting was held at its permanent secretariat venue in Jeddah. Referring to the meeting, salehi said, ˈWe donˈt want to see Mali turns into another Somalia.ˈ Salehi stressed that the OIC members should help Mali not be involved in a civil war as was the case in certain countries. He said that participants in the meeting exchanged views on the next parliamentary and presidential elections in Mali, establishment of the new government and the issue of providing Mali with financial aid from the OIC and European countries. As the current president of the Non-Aligned Movement, Iran has voiced NAMˈs readiness to help OIC settle the ongoing Mali crisis, Salehi noted. Salehi arrived in Tehran Tuesday morning./end