Iran says ground prepared for official, political talks with Saudi Arabia

TEHRAN, July 25 (Xinhua) -- An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday the ground is prepared for Iran and Saudi Arabia to hold the next round of talks on reducing tensions in bilateral relations at an official and political level in Baghdad.

Making the remarks in an address to a weekly press conference, Nasser Kanaani said the talks would help the two sides take a large and palpable step toward the resumption and improvement of bilateral ties, given the two sides' positive will to this end, according to official news agency IRNA.

He added Iraq has brokered five rounds of negotiations between Tehran and Riyadh, which have produced good and promising results.

Following the recent meeting attended by leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council members, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and the United States in Jeddah, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein held a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and informed him of certain issues discussed in the meeting, according to Kanaani.

The Iraqi minister pointed out that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud had, on the sidelines of the meeting, expressed willingness and readiness for holding official and open political talks with Iran in the next round.

Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran in early 2016 in protest against the attacks on the Saudi diplomatic mission in Iran after the Saudi execution of a Shiite cleric.