DR SALIH AL-ALI, THE ASSISTANT CHAIRMAN OF THE SHOURA COUNCIL, MET HERE TODAY GHULAM ALI ADEL, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE IRANIAN SHOURA. ADEL HIGHLIGHTED THE EXISTING GOOD RELATIONS BETWEEN THE KINGDOM AND IRAN, AND SAID IRAN VIEWS THE KINGDOM AS AN IMPORTANT AND INFLUENTIAL COUNTRY IN THE ASIAN CONTINENT. ADEL CONDEMNED THE CRIMINAL PRACTICES OF ISRAEL IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES, AND SAID BY DOING SO ISRAEL WANTS TO DISTRACT ATTENTION FROM ITS DEFEAT IN LEBANON. HE HOPED THAT THE KINGDOM AND IRAN WOULD COOPERATE IN DEFENDING ISLAMIC CAUSES. ON THE SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ, ADEL SAID THE SITUATION IN THESE TWO COUNTRIES HAVE DETERIORATED AFTER BEING OCCUPIED BY THE US. HE NOTED THAT ANY THREAT TO IRAN REGARDING ITS NUCLEAR ISSUE WILL ESCALATE TENSION AND ANXIETY IN THE REGION. ON HIS PART, DR AL-ALI SAID THE KINGDOM AND IRAN HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE REGION AND IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. HE UNDERSCORED THE IMPORTANCE OF CEMENTING COOPERATION BETWEEN THE SAUDI AND IRANIAN SHOURA COUNCILS FOR SETTLING DISPUTES AMONG THE MUSLIM COUNTRIES. HE NOTED THAT THE KINGDOM AND IRAN HAVE IDENTICAL VIEWS AS REGARDS A NUMBER OF REGIONAL ISSUES, NOTABLY THE PROBLEMS OF LEBANON AND PALESTINE. ON THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR ISSUE, DR AL-ALI CALLED FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF THE ISSUE THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS.
