Middle East News
Iranian president in Riyadh for talks with Saudi king
Mar 3, 2007, 14:43 GMT
Riyadh - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Saturday afternoon for talks with King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, in his first official visit to the Kingdom.
The president was received by the Saudi monarch and Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the Secretary-General of the National Security Council, who is known to be close to the Bush administration.
Before leaving Tehran, the Iranian leader told the press that he 'will talk with Saudi officials on what steps should be taken in the current juncture as far as the Islamic world and international community are concerned.'
'Iran and Saudi Arabia are two great countries willing to strengthen and expand bilateral ties on the basis of mutual respect,' he added.
According to an earlier Arab News report, Ahmadinejad intended to focus on 'the situation in the Middle East and the latest developments in the region and the world of Islam.'
Latest developments in Lebanon and Iraq are on top of the agenda. Independent observers in the Middle East have recently said that Iran was trying to push the US to start a dialogue with Tehran aimed at stabilizing the situation in Iraq.
It was not until Saturday that Iran received proposals from the United States to hold talks on Iraq, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini, who was quoted on the website of IRIB state television.
'As far as Iraq is concerned, our stance is very clear: we should all help the Iraqi government to establish full security,' Ahmadinejad told the press earlier.
'As far as Lebanon is concerned, the will of the Lebanese people should be respected and we will support independence and the process to strengthen national unity.'
However, diplomatic sources said that the Iranian and Saudi leaders would also discuss the controversial Iranian nuclear programme, disparaged by Western states, with the US topping the list.
In December, a UN resolution imposed sanctions on Iran for the first time and threatened further steps if Iran did not halt its nuclear activities within 60 days.
A report by the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), last week said Iran had in fact expanded its enrichment activities rather than halted them.
Observers considered the bilateral talks as unusual.
As a Sunni state, Saudi Arabia is a close regional ally of the United States - termed the 'Great Satan' by Shiite Iran - while bloody ethnic conflicts between Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq also polarize Riyadh and Tehran.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
blog comments powered by DisqusLatest Headlines in Middle East
- 1. Jerusalem prelate tells Arab Spring youth to have confidence
- 2. More than 100 killed in Syria ahead of ceasefire deadline
- 3. At least 43 killed in Syria, despite UN criticism
- 4. 19 killed in Syria as ceasefire deadline approaches
- 5. Pilgrims flock to Jerusalem for Easter, Passover
Older Talkback
page: 1
''No point talking to Saudies as long as they follow Sir Humphrey's version of Islam.''
Good point Syed. Different worshippers hold differing interpretations of islam and the quran. That is because there is ambiguity in the writings; it is subject to interpretation.
If these words are the words of truth and clarity from a perfect and almighty creator, there would be no ambiguity. The words and message would exhibit perfect, unequivocal clarity, but they do not.
Perhaps your god needs to brush up on his writing skills?
(Incidentally, why didn't this perfect almighty creator also publish his perfect works deep in the Amazonian jungle for the benefit of those people?)
Yes? I would like known why 80 % percent of the world antisemitic. Most be have a good reason. Something wrong with that people.
'I would like known why 80 % percent of the world antisemitic.'
Indeed. I would like to know why comparable proportions of people believe in horoscopes and other fantastic deities. Maybe they are also anti-semitic.
Could it all be because most people in the world are really, really, really smart? Are you one of those by any chance?
'I would like known why 80 % percent of the world antisemitic. '
I would like to know where you get your figures.
'No point talking to Saudies as long as they follow Sir Humphrey's version of Islam.'
Better to communicate with car bombs and suicide bombers, eh? Have at it... Just stay over there.
Arabs also fall under the linguistic/ethnological heading of 'semite'. Considering how news-worthy they've been lately, I wonder how that reflects on T Smith's sentiment?
Belief systems based on lunatic fairy tales be they Muslim, Christian, Jewish or any other of the hundreds of simplistic dogmas are the real problem for all of us. All the time we are running around shouting that this dead peasent (prohet) or that had the ear of a god we will always remain locked into these stupid conflicts.
Perhaps the Saudi's could ask why Iran, surrounded by people who are non-threatening, need to threaten their neighbors with medium range missiles, submarines and, next, nuclear weapons.
The Iranians tried to bring Saudi Arabia into the Iran-Iraq war, in the 80's. The Saudi A/F was sufficient to ward them off.
As for the rest of you tinfoil hat wearing jihadists, like all totalitarians, you constantly need a false enemy to keep yourselves in power. Hitler knew this, and you sound a lot like him.
Jews are pacifists. The problem is, real pacifists WILL fight if provoked.
page: 1
SyedMar 3rd, 2007 - 15:51:25
Ahmedinijad expects the slaves of USA to budge? NO WAY!!
Al-Quraan [Shakir 6:65] Say: He has the power that He should send on you a chastisement from above you or from beneath your feet, or that He should throw you into confusion, (making you) of different parties; and make some of you taste the fighting of others. See how We repeat the communications that they may understand.
No point talking to Saudies as long as they follow Sir Humphrey's version of Islam.
Report this comment