Iran FM hopes to reopen Saudi consulate in Mashhad

SANAA, Jan. 14 (YPA) – Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian expressed his hope for the reopening of the consulates of the two countries in Jeddah and Mashhad, to provide consular services for those wishing to visit the holy places of Mecca, Madinah and Mashhad.

This came in statements made by Abdollahian at a news conference at the end of his visit to Lebanon on Friday.

“The Saudi side does not have the necessary preparations for relations to return to their normal state,” but “we have the intention and seriousness necessary to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia,” the minister said.

He added, “We agree with Saudi Arabia that the normalization of relations between the two countries is beneficial to the region.”

Abdollahian stressed that his country had “overcome the recent riots,” which was one of the West’s goals “to extract concessions in the nuclear negotiations.”

AA