TEHRAN – Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, Iran’s vice president for parliamentary affairs, on Wednesday described his meeting with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan in Brazil as “detailed” ad said the Saudi side expressed willingness to resume dialogue with Tehran.

Hosseini had visited Brazil to participate in a ceremony in which Lula da Silva was sworn in as president on Sunday. Dignitaries from other countries had also participated in the presidential inauguration ceremony.   

Hosseini said the Saudi foreign minister listened to his remarks “patiently and expressed his views.”

Iran and Saudi Arabia have been at odds over certain issues, the most important of which is the Saudi-led war on Yemen.

Iraq has so far mediated five rounds of talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

“The main subject was what will be the destiny of the dialogue between Iran and Saudi Arabia which has been initiated with the mediation of Iraq.  They (Saudi Arabia) announced their readiness to resume the dialogue,” Hosseini said after a cabinet meeting.

The Saudi foreign minister welcomed more meetings to study issues that the two sides disagree on and allay concerns so that the two sides finally reach a conclusion, the vice president added.

Hosseini went on to say that the Iranian Foreign Ministry is following the issue of talks with Saudi Arabia and have taken some steps in this regard.

The vice president also called Iran and Saudi Arabia two important and influential countries in the region and said the two sides cooperate with each other in certain areas, including Hajj pilgrimage.

“Every year a large number of Iranians visit Saudi Arabia as pilgrims and it is necessary that cooperation between the two countries increase,” Hosseini suggested.

He added, “What the two sides insists on is reestablishing ties between the two countries.”