TEHRAN – Iranian lawmaker Shiva Qassemipour who accompanied the Iranian foreign minister on his recent visit to Saudi Arabia said that President Ebrahim Raisi will pay a visit to Saudi Arabia. 

According to Qassemipour, the Saudi side was keen to have the Iranian president visit Saudi Arabia. “The Saudi side always requested Ayatollah Raisi's presence and visit to Saudi Arabia in every meeting and invited the President of our country to visit Riyadh and visit the Two Holy Mosques,” she said in remarks to IRNA. 

Commenting on the visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian to Saudi Arabia, Qassemipour said, “During this trip, very good negotiations and memoranda of understanding were done, which, if they enter the operational phase, will have very positive results.”

According to the lawmaker, the Iranian and Saudi sides agreed that Iranian pilgrims to the holy places in Saudi Arabia will have the opportunity to visit non-religious places across Saudi Arabia. Iranian pilgrims will be able to visit Riyadh and Jeddah, according to Qassemipour. 

“In this meeting, we reached understandings with the Saudi side in the fields of air transportation, sports cooperation, investment and economic cooperation,” she continued. 

The lawmaker noted, “We had a meeting with both the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Saudi Crown Prince, and both sides expressed their happiness from these meetings.”

She said the Iranian president approved of his visit to Suadi Arabia. “With the implementation of the negotiations and understandings between the two sides, this trip will enter the operational stage, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran will also visit Saudi Arabia,” she continued. 

Other things that were agreed upon were cooperation in the field of knowledge-based firms, maritime communication and shipping between the ports of the two countries, air traffic and tourism, according to the lawmaker. 

Last week, Amir Abdollahian visited Riyadh and Jeddah where he met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. 

In his meeting with the Saudi crown prince, Amir Abdollahian emphasized the need for the expansion of ties between Iran and regional countries including Saudi Arabia during a meeting with the kingdom’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammad bin Salman. 

Referring to the opportunities ahead of the two countries, Amirabdollahian said the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia can help the region grow and prosper further through expanding cooperation in all areas including political ties, economy, trade, transit, science and technology and culture as well as popular matters, according to the Iranian foreign ministry.

He also spoke about international developments, saying, “Today, we have a historic responsibility”.

Amirabdollahian also outlined the Islamic Republic of Iran’s achievements and possibilities and said the key to the region’s prosperity is to strengthen dialogue and cooperation and boost development-oriented cooperation.

Mohammed bin Salman, for his part, conveyed his greetings and those of the Saudi king to the Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, saying his country’s view of the relationship with Iran is strategic and that the kingdom is firmly resolved in this regard.

Bin Salman invited President Raisi to visit Saudi Arabia and noted that a meeting between the leaders of the two countries would be very important. The Saudi crown prince said that such meetings will have a significant effect on the expansion and deepening of bilateral and multilateral relations.