TEHRAN -- South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung has called for "a new stage of maturity" in bilateral ties between Tehran and Seoul in a letter to his Iranian counterpart President Mohammad Khatami, the country's Embassy said here on Thursday.

In a press release, a copy of which was available to IRNA, the Embassy said that Kim's call was made during a felicitation letter to President Khatami on the 23rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

"I note with satisfaction the significant developments in the friendly and cooperative relations between the Republic of Korea and the Islamic Republic of Iran over the past years," it cited part of Kim's message as saying.

"In particular, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Iran and South Korea this year," he added.

Meanwhile, Saudi Minister of Commerce Usama Ibn Jafaar Ibn Ibrahim Faqih said on Thursday that the recent threats made by Bush against the Islamic Republic of Iran leaves no effect on Saudi relation with Iran as well as with the other Islamic states.

Speaking in a press conference at the end of the fourth Tehran-Riyadh joint economic commission session in Tehran, he said the existing relation between Saudi Arabia, Iran and all other Islamic states totally based on principled and consolidated religious believes, mutual respect, good neighboring as well as Islamic thoughts.

The Saudi minister also called the results of the fourth joint economic commission as ''positive'' and described the prospects of the two sides relation as hopeful and promising.

Besides the agreements made on expansion of economic and commercial cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the two sides will broaden their cooperation in the area of light and heavy industries for car manufacturing and its auto parts accordingly, he said.