Saudi Arabia have indicated their willingness to negotiate with Iran and extend an invitation to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

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Last updated: 05/14/2014

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said on Tuesday in Riyadh, the kingdom invited Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had explaining that Riyadh was ready to "negotiate" with Tehran.

Saudi Arabia has welcomed earlier, and cautiously, the agreement of Geneva, saying that it could be an "initial step towards a comprehensive solution" to the Iranian nuclear program if the "availability of good intentions."

In a visit of the US for President Barack Obama to Saudi Arabia, a US official on the importance of this visit confirmed and said, "I think it was important to get a chance to come to see the king and the face-to-face and to clarify the extent of the insistence of the president to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. "

Prince Turki al-Faisal, former intelligence chief had said earlier in a security conference in the Bahraini capital Manama, it is for the Gulf States should also be prepared for any possible outcome of the talks of nuclear Iran with world powers.

On Tuesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal in Riyadh that the kingdom invited Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had explaining that Riyadh was ready to "negotiate" with Tehran.

He said during a press conference on the sidelines of a forum of cooperation between the Arab world and Central Asia, "We want a meeting with Iran's neighbor in our relationships with them and we will conduct negotiations with it."

He said al-Faisal, "We will talk with them and if there was a hope that the differences will be settled to the satisfaction of the two countries. We also hope that Iran be included in efforts to make a safe and prosperous region and not be part of the problem of insecurity in the region."

He pointed to the expression of a desire to restore communication between the two countries expressed by Iranian President (Hassan Rohani) and Foreign Minister (Javad Zarif). "

"We have sent the invitation of Foreign Minister to visit Saudi Arabia, but determined to do the visit did not turn into reality yet. But we Snstqublh at any time it deems appropriate" to come.

The tense relations between the two countries since the Islamic Revolution in Tehran in 1979, but worsening in the past years due to the conflict in Syria in particular.

In addition to that Tehran supports the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, it is the main backer of the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, which is fighting alongside the Syrian regime forces against armed opponents.

Saudi Arabia openly supports some Syrian opposition parties.

Coincides invitation Riyadh to Tehran with the start of the Western powers and Iran at the Vienna negotiations on its nuclear program.

As well as nuclear and Syrian files, Saudi Arabia does not consider favorably to what it describes as "interference" in Bahrain, Iran, Iraq and Yemen are all adjacent to the kingdom from the east and the north and south.