Jeddah: Talks by Saudi, Iranian ministers of justice

Saudi Arabia's minister of Justice Abdullah al-Sheikh and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Hashimi Shahroudi yesterday in Jeddah discussed judicial cooperation agreement.

The Saudi news agency quoted al-Sheikh saying that the two countries will sign a memorandum in order to encourage judicial cooperation and the exchange of expertise in this field.

The Iranian news agency said that Shahroudi will discuss "fighting terrorism, judicial cooperation, security measures, the presence of the American forces in the region and regional cooperation." The spokesman for Shahroudi, Ghulam Hussein Elham, refused on Saturday to confirm the possibility that the talks dealt with the issue of handing over "al-Qaida members."

Diplomatic sources in Tehran, however, said that Iran is making secret negotiations with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kuwait in order to hand over officials in al-Qaida organization arrested on its territories.