Development of ties with neighbors Iran's top priority: FM

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said the current Iranian administration attaches special importance to the development of the country's ties with its neighbors.

He made the remarks during a meeting with Kuwaiti Prime Minister Ahmad Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah in Kuwait City on Wednesday. The top diplomat is staying in the Kuwaiti capital as part of a regional tour, which will next take him to the United Arab Emirates.

Amir-Abdollahian said the administration of President Ebrahim Raeisi considered the expansion of the Islamic Republic's relations with its neighbors to be an essential priority.

Iran would seriously address the priority since it believes that the country's neighbors, especially the Persian Gulf's littoral states, enjoy numerous instances of commonality and capacities for cooperation with the country, he added.

The FM, meanwhile, identified the enhancement of economic, commercial, and transit cooperation with Kuwait alongside the two sides' political and security consultations as a serious necessity.

Iran faces no limits in the development of its relations with Kuwait in the areas of common interest between the countries, he said, extending senior Iranian officials' invitation to their Kuwaiti counterparts for the latter to visit the Islamic Republic.

Proposal for formation of regional assembly

Iran, Amir-Abdollahian noted, has proposed the formation of a regional assembly featuring the countries that border the Persian Gulf to the north and south.

Upon formation, such an assembly could play a constructive role in the promotion of convergence and cooperation among the region's countries, he said, adding that Kuwait could play an important role in shaping up such a body given the positive role that it has been playing in this regard.

For his part, the Kuwaiti official expressed delight over the Iranian official's visit to his country, describing the countries' relations as historical and marked by good neighborliness.

Tehran and Kuwait City should strive towards the reinforcement of the ties in all existing areas, Al Sabah said.

He considered the residency of around 30,000 Iranian nationals in Kuwait as the main reason for the depth and good-neighborly quality of the countries' ties.

The Kuwaiti premier, meanwhile, admired the recent rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, saying the development served to contribute positively to regional relations, and stated that his country welcomed Iran's initiatives that are aimed at reinforcement of the Islamic Republic's relations with Arab states.

SS