TEHRAN – Iranian Ambassador to Qatar Hamid Reza Dehghani has met with a senior Qatari official to discuss cooperation between the two neighbors.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday that Dehghani held a meeting with Qatari Assistant Foreign Minister and spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater.

“During the meeting, bilateral cooperation between the two countries was reviewed,” the Qatari statement noted. 

In recent weeks, diplomatic contacts have increased between Doha and Tehran, with the foreign ministers of the two countries holding phone talks and then in-person meetings. In July, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had a phone conversation with Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. During the phone call, the two sides conferred on bilateral relations. Foreign Minister Zarif also congratulated his Qatari counterpart on the Eid al-Adha.

Five days later, the Qatari foreign minister paid a visit to Tehran. He met with Zarif and Ayatollah Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, who had won the Iranian presidential election in June. 

Zarif and Al Thani discussed the latest developments in bilateral relations and the most pressing regional and international issues during their meeting in Tehran. 

In his meeting with the Qatari foreign minister, Ayatollah Raisi stated that the two nations of Iran and Qatar are religious brothers and regional partners.

“Tehran has a special interest in relations with Doha and the foreign policy priority of the future government will be neighbors,” Ayatollah Raisi said. 

Pointing out that Iran has proven to be a reliable and trustworthy friend and partner, Ayatollah Raisi stressed, “Be assured that Iran is a well-wisher to its neighbors.”

Raisi said that the root of insecurity in the region should be sought outside it. “The solution to the establishment of lasting security and stability in the region is the cooperation of the countries of the region based on mutual political trust and the practical denial of foreign interference in the region,” Raisi asserted.