Rafsanjani called for bolstering Arab-Islamic ties

Former Iranian President Akbar Hashami Rafsanjani on Monday called for fostering cooperation between Arab and Islamic states, stressing Iran's desire to maintain closer ties with Saudi Arabia on all levels.

In a speech he delivered on Monday at the Saudi Shoura council in Riyadh Rafsanjani said, "I came here with me a delegation comprising various activists in Iran to revive relations between the two countries."

He stressed the need to mobilize efforts between the two countries' officials to increase volume of bilateral cooperation for the interests of the two peoples, to preserve their rights and to take a united stand against hostile challenges targeting the two countries and other Islamic states.