TEHRAN, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said Iran and Saudi Arabia should not allow interference by third parties aimed at souring their bilateral relations, the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported Wednesday.
He made the remarks in a meeting with Saudi Ambassador to Iran Abdullah bin Saud al-Anzi on Tuesday while elaborating on the status quo of bilateral relations.
Vahidi said, "Some (parties) seek to interfere in and sour the Tehran-Riyadh relations, which should not be allowed."
He added that constructive cooperation and interaction between Iran and Saudi Arabia would be in the interests of the Muslim world and the whole region, noting that the two countries are determined to improve all-out bilateral relations.
The Iranian interior minister highlighted the necessity to expand cooperation between Iranian and Saudi officials to address security problems, including terrorist threats, stressing that the two countries' development and security are interconnected.
The Saudi envoy, for his part, shared the same view with Vahidi on the need to fight terrorism and improve bilateral relations, saying the ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran were on the right track.
He also noted that the two interior ministries could cooperate in numerous areas.
The Saudi ambassador called for activating and updating a security agreement between the two countries signed 20 years ago to prepare the ground for the expansion of bilateral cooperation in various areas, including fighting terrorism, organized crimes, and drug trafficking.
Last March, Saudi Arabia and Iran reached a groundbreaking agreement in Beijing to resume diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies and missions within two months. Last April, the two countries officially announced the resumption of diplomatic relations with immediate effect.
Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran in early 2016 in response to attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran after the kingdom executed a Shiite cleric. ■
