TEHRAN – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Thursday that Iran is determined to expand relations with Oman in various areas and called for a speedy implementation of bilateral agreements.

“Friendly and positive relations between the two countries can help establish peace and stability in the region [the Mideast region] given the strategic status they have,” Rouhani said during a meeting with Chairman of the State Council of Oman Yahya bin Mahfoudh al- Manthri on the sidelines of 13th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

Rouhani said that Iran attaches great importance to Oman’s status and also praised Oman’s position toward developments in the region.

The Omani official said that there is no impediment to expand ties between the two countries.

The Iranian president also met with Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah during which expressed hope that cooperation between the two countries would be expanded.

Rouhani said that expansion of Iran-Brunei relations can play an “effective role” to bring Iran closer to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The Sultan called for expansion of ties in various spheres.

He said that cooperation in fighting terrorism and extremism should be expanded in order to present a real image of Islam to the world.

------‘Regional problems should be resolved through dialogue’

Rouhani said that problems in the region should be solved through dialogue and without any foreign intervention.

“All the regional countries should stand together in fight again terrorism, extremism and violence as a global and regional threat,” Rouhani in a separate meeting with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev.

Aliyev called Iran a close and friendly neighbor.

Rouhani also met with President of Senegal Macky Sall, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah and Algerian Parliament Speaker Abdul Qadir bin Saleh on the sidelines of the OIC summit.

NA/PA