UAE FM arrives in Tehran for talks

Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) arrived in Tehran on Thursday for talks with Iranian officials on issues of mutual interest, Tasnim news agency reported. During the one-day visit, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan will have meetings with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad-Javad Zarif and President Hassan Rouhani. The two countries' officials are expected to discuss bilateral ties and exchange views on the regional and international developments, according to the report. The Islamic republic seeks closer ties with the Persian Gulf littoral states, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham was quoted as saying by Press TV on Thursday. "The consolidation and development of relations with Islamic and Arab countries, particularly the countries in the key and sensitive Persian Gulf region, is the priority of the Islamic republic's foreign policy," Afkham said. The approach adopted by Rouhani's administration is to help boost stability and security in the region through cooperation with neighboring and regional countries, the spokeswoman said, adding that the country's diplomatic apparatus is following the same policy in a serious manner. "Iran is vigilantly and carefully monitoring certain efforts aimed to sow discord, trigger skepticism and raise doubts among Islamic countries," she said. Iran's interests and those of the Islamic world and neighboring states are intertwined, so the most rational solution to regional problems is to boost "constructive interaction," she added. Iranian foreign minister plans to visit Kuwait and Oman in coming days as a part of the country's regional diplomacy, Tasnim reported.