Saudi Crown Prince receives Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi arrived, on Saturday evening, in the city of Jeddah on an official visit to Saudi Arabia.

An informed source in the Iraqi government said that Al-Kazemi will visit Iran, Sunday, to discuss joint files between the two countries, noting that the two visits aim to the convergence of views between Riyadh and Tehran after the rounds of dialogue that were held in Baghdad.

The Saudi Press Agency “SPA” reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was at the forefront of my future Al-Kazemi at King Abdulaziz International Airport.

Earlier on Saturday, the official Iraqi News Agency, “INA”, reported, that Al-Kazemi intends to visit Saudi Arabia and Iran, to discuss several files, including “diplomatic relations between Tehran and Riyadh.”

The sources added that “the two visits come within the framework of the consultations that Saudi Arabia and Iran recently held in Baghdad,” noting that “Al-Kazemi will discuss, during his upcoming visit, many files, including diplomatic relations between Tehran and Riyadh.”

Iran and Saudi Arabia began direct talks in April 2021, which included 5 rounds hosted by Baghdad, the last of which was last April.

On May 26, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that talks between his country and Saudi Arabia “have made little but good progress,” noting that he might meet with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in a third country.

A Saudi Foreign Ministry official told Reuters on May 27 that no meeting had been set in the “foreseeable future” between the two countries’ foreign ministers, noting that “Iran needs to build confidence for future cooperation, and there are issues that can be discussed to reduce tension in the region.”

On May 25, the Saudi foreign minister made it clear that Riyadh’s talks with Tehran had made some progress “but not enough”.

The Saudi Foreign Minister stressed, during one of the sessions of the “Davos” World Forum, that “our hands are extended to Iran,” referring to the rounds of dialogue held in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

Al-Kazemi’s upcoming visit to Riyadh and Tehran comes in conjunction with the announcement by the Director of Public Relations of the Iranian Hajj and Visit Organization, Wahid Eskandari, on Saturday, that 23,228 Iranians were delegated to Madinah and Makkah to perform the Hajj, out of a total of 39,600 visitors.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh expressed, last Monday, his “thanks and appreciation to the concerned authorities in Saudi Arabia for hosting Iranian pilgrims,” ​​stressing that “the Saudi hospitality to Iranian pilgrims provides the basis for strengthening other aspects of relations with this country.”