Rafsanjani to visit Saudi Arabia

Former Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashami Rafsanjani is to start a 10-day visit to Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Iran's ambassador in Riyadh, Muhammad Rida Nouri, said in a statement to the Saudi daily Okaz issued on Tuesday that during his visit Rafsanjani will hold talks with King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz, Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz and the Prime minister's second deputy and Defense Minister Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz.

They will discuss means of strengthening and deepening relations between the two countries and issues of mutual concern. The Iranian ambassador said Rafsanjani's visit to Saudi Arabia, the first for a senior Iranian official since 1979, falls in the course of continued consultation and exchanging views on issues of concern between Saudi Arabia and Iran.