18 February 2017
Tehran - Foreign Ministry announced that President Hassan Rouhani’s newly-ended visits to Oman and Kuwait in the present critical situation in the region has indicated that the trio are determined to promote cordial relations in the two sides of the Persian Gulf strategic waterway.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi told IRNA late on Thursday that President Rouhani’s day-long visit to the two regional states were made upon official invitations of Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said al Said and Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Ahmad Jaber al-Sabah. 

He added the Sultan of Oman and the emir of Kuwait have always been calling for broadening relations with Iran.

The spokesman stressed that Oman and Kuwait have always tried to form a collective mechanism with Iran’s help to discuss regional peace and security and meet common concerns and threats in the region, including terrorism and extremism, with the participation of Iran and other regional countries. 

He added that in the past few weeks, certain trans-regional countries made efforts in line with their own interests to sow discord and division among Islamic nations. 

However, Qasemi stressed, despite efforts made by those countries, President Rouhani’s visits on February 15 to Oman and Kuwait were widely welcomed by the people, officials and mass media of the regional states and this has indicated that the provocative policies of those trans-regional countries have apparently resulted in an opposite way and that the regional people and governments are interested to have expanded cooperation.

Qasemi said that President Rouhani was the first head of state who visited Oman after Sultan Qaboos successful recovery from a previous illness.

After being ensured of the health condition of the Sultan of Oman, President Rouhani and Sultan Qaboos made a “constructive” and “intensive talks” on promotion of bilateral relations in the fields of economic, trade and cultural activities. 

The two also ordered immediate removal of any obstacles in the way of expansion of bilateral ties and facilitating mutual cooperation.

Praising Sultan of Oman’s constructive role for settling regional issues, the spokesman noted that President Rouhani has expressed hope that the war in Yemen, which has taken a heavy toll on the country's facilities and infrastructure, could be ended as soon as possible with the constructive and humanitarian approach of all belligerent parties.

Touching upon Presdient Rouhani's visit to Kuwait City, Qasemi said the President discussed major regional developments in a meeting with Emir of Kuwait and also discussed ways for strengthening mutual cooperation.

He noted that the Emir of Kuwait gave great significance to the views discussed by President Rouhani which were inspired by an Islamic brotherhood spirit. 

The Kuwaiti Emir also said he was satisfied with Tehran’s constructive approach to ease tensions among neighboring Arab countries.

Qasemi noted that the fact that President Rouhani was warmly welcomed by all high-ranking officials of Oman and Kuwait during his day-ling visits to the two regional countries has made it clear that the short eight-hour visit was regarded highly important by the leaders of those states.

© IRNA 2017