Saudi Arabia, Iran expand military cooperation

4/19/2005 8:00:00 AM GMT

Salih bin Ali Al-Muhayya, Saudi Arabia's Chief of Staff General said on Monday that his country will expand it’s military cooperation with Iran.

Al-Muhayya made his remarks during an interview with IRNA news agency on the sidelines of a special ceremony held in Riyadh on the occasion of Iran's Army Day.

He is scheduled to travel to Iran to meet with Iranian officials to discuss the expansion of bilateral military ties between the two countries.

Al-Muhayya expressed his optimism about future ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, saying that due to the religious affinities between the two nations, Tehran-Riyadh cooperation would be further enhanced in different fields.

The ceremony held in the Saudi capital commemorating Iran's Army Day, was attended by several Saudi senior military officials and a number of foreign diplomats residing in the country.

Last month, interior ministers of both countries held security talks in Riyadh to boost cooperation.

During a joint news conference with Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz.Lari, Iranian Interior Minister Abdul Wahid Mousavi Lari told reporters that ties between the two nations are strong, and that "great strides have been taken within the framework of our security accord."

Prince Nayef said his government and Tehran agreed on many issues, but that "with the circumstances in the region, there are new developments that need to be discussed from time to time."