“This trip, during the critical and special situation of the region, marks the shared will of the three countries to develop friendly ties across the two sides of the Persian Gulf,” said Bahram Ghasemi, the Spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, on Thursday, touching upon President Rouhani’s visit to Kuwait and Oman.
The Iranian diplomat reassured that President Rouhani’s visit to Kuwait and Oman was upon the invitations by the heads of these two countries. “Sultan Qaboos, the King of Oman, and Sheik Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait, have always sought all-out relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and even beyond bilateral relations, they are after a collective system incorporating dialogue between all countries of the region, including Iran, to secure stability and security of the region in face of common threats and concerns like terrorism and extremism.”
He maintained that President Rouhani’s Wednesday travel to Kuwait and Oman was warmly welcomed by the officials, people, and the media of the regional countries, “especially after the efforts of some cross-regional players who have been wedging the differences between the Islamic countries for the last weeks.” Ghasemi underlined that this visit and the wide welcome offered to it proved that the provocative policies of cross-regional powers have yielded in reverse results and the will of the far-sighted people and governments of the region for developing all-out relations have been bolstered more than ever.
Ghasemi highlighted that it was the first visit of a head of a state to Muscat after the health condition of the King of Oman had recovered from the two years of treatment. The foreign ministry spokesman recounted that in addition to acquiring assurance about the health condition of Sultan Qaboos, President Rouhani held constructive and concerted meetings with Omani king to examine ways of broadening bilateral ties in all areas of culture, economy, trade, and civil relations. Ghasemi said that the two heads of states issued orders for immediate measures easing the implementation of the new decisions.
“Increasing marine routes between the two countries, easing the issuance of tourism and trade for the citizens of the two countries, developing economic and banking relations, and speeding the operations for constructing the gas pipe between the two countries, were among the top agreements between the heads of the two countries during this visit,” recounted the Iranian diplomat.
Ghasemi added that President Rouhani hailed the constructive role of Sultan Qaboos in dealing with regional issues and voiced hope that the war in Yemen, the southern neighbor of Oman, which has caused heavy casualties to the infrastructures of the Islamic country and created pathetic humanitarian situation, immediately come to an end by all warring sides undertaking a constructive and humanitarian approach.
Ghasemi recounted that President Rouhani’s visit to Kuwait was upon the invitation of Kuwaiti Emir in June 2015. “In this visit, in addition to dialogue over bilateral relations, there occurred thorough talks about the regional situation and a mechanism to relieve the tensions with collective cooperation.”
Iranian spox. recounted that the Kuwaiti Emir described President Rouhani’s approaches driven from the spirit of the Islamic concept of brotherhood and said that these approached are constructive and important. “The Emir hailed and voiced content with Iran’s constructive approach to ease tensions with its Arab neighbors.”
He said that these words are important given that the Kuwaiti king had sent a message to Tehran in recent weeks and had elaborated some approaches to the regional dialogue in there.
Recounting the level of welcoming ceremonies offered by the two countries, Ghasemi, stressed that the 8 hour visit of President Rouhani to these two countries and the welcoming ceremonies of the highest ranks offered, marked the importance the neighbors hold for visit of Iran’s president.
YNG/3909235