Tehran and Riyadh should hold talks without preconditions to resolve their disagreements as it will be in the interest of the two countries and the region at large, says a former official.
"If Iran and Saudi Arabia see shortcomings in each other's foreign policy, they need to resolve it at the negotiating table without setting any preconditions," Sabah Zanganeh, Iran's former envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, told ISNA in an interview published Monday.
He made the proposal after President Hassan Rouhani at the weekend called for improved relations with neighboring states, including Saudi Arabia, while saying that the kingdom should reassess its behavior and put an end to the unwanted and unhelpful obstinacy.
Riyadh severed diplomatic relations with Tehran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran was stormed by protesters in response to the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric.
Collective Interests
Zanganeh says the new status quo in the region demands closer regional harmony and cooperation, not a race towards buying more weapons. "Collaboration between countries in the region, including Iran and Saudi Arabia, can and must help improve the economic situation in regional states and settle issues related to oil export."
He opined that Tehran has done its part by expressing its willingness to open a new chapter in ties and now the onus is on Riyadh to take measures that will contribute to stability and good neighborliness.
Saudi Stance
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir was quoted Monday as saying by Arab News that his country supports all sanctions imposed on Iran.
For Iran to maintain normal ties with the international community, he claimed, Iran must respect international laws, adhere to the principle of good neighborliness, follow a policy of non-interference and stop what he called was upport for terrorists.
Stepping Stone
Lawmaker in Tehran Morteza Saffari Natanzi says settling differences with regional countries can serve as a stepping stone toward stronger bonds with the international community.
"When it comes to public diplomacy, we have to begin the change from our own region. In short, the path of expansion of ties with other countries passes through the Middle East," Natanzi, a member of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told ISNA.
If there is a clear vision and real political will, all disagreements can be addressed through dialogue, he said.
