24 January 2017

Mehdi Sepahvand, Fatih Karimov 
Tehran, Iran - Iran is ready to resume ties with Saudi Arabia if Riyadh makes a serious change in its behavior, Bahram Qasemi, the spokesperson of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said.

“Our policy is not abandoning diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia forever,” Qasemi said in a press conference in Tehran on Jan. 23 while commenting about the future of the two regional countries’ relations, Trend correspondent reported.

Relations between Tehran and Riyadh have been strained over the past years after their conflicting views on regional developments, particularly on Yemen and Syria, became more noticeable.

Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic relations with Iran after protesters stormed the kingdom’s embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad on January 2, 2016 in response to Riyadh's execution of a prominent Saudi Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

Elsewhere in his remarks Qasemi said that a Kuwaiti delegation headed by Kuwaiti Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled al-Hamad Al-Sabah will visit Tehran in coming days.

Regional issues as well as mutual ties will be discussed during the visit, the Iranian diplomat said, adding that it is not clear that the Kuwaiti official will convey any message from third parties to Iran.

Qasemi continued that French Foreign Minister Jean–Marc Ayrault is also scheduled to visit Iran in a week.

Iran-France Joint economic commission will also convene in Tehran during the French diplomat visit, Qasemi added.

The two sides also will discuss regional issues including the ongoing crisis in Syria, he said.

The Iranian official expressed hope that economic and political agreements will be achieved between Tehran and Paris.

While responding to a question about ties with Canada, Qasemi said that obstacles in Iran and Canada relations have not yet been removed.

“We are waiting for Canada government to remove financial and political hurdles,” he said, adding that if it does, the representative offices will be opened to take care of the consular affairs.

© Trend News Agency 2017