Saudi-Iranian committee meets today in Tehran

Saudi Minister of Commerce Osama Jaafar Faqih has underlined the importance of meetings of the second session of the Iranian-Saudi committee in Tehran today in developing and strengthening relations in economic, trade, scientific, technical and cultural relations between the two countries.

Faqih, who will chair the Saudi side to the meetings of the committee, said in a statement in Riyadh on Sunday that the main issues to be discussed by the committee are to study the best means of increasing the volume of commerce between the two countries, and organize trade expositions. The Saudi minister disclosed that the volume of commerce between Saudi Arabia and Iran reached in 1998 some 508 million Saudi Riyals and that the number of Saudi-Iranian joint projects established in Saudi Arabia is 13.

The Saudi minister will president his country's delegation to the meetings of the second session of the joint Saudi- Iranian committee due to be held in Tehran on January 17 - 19.

The two countries' joint committee had held its first session in Riyadh in 1998.