TEHRAN – An advisor to the Iraqi prime minister has said that the talks that Baghdad hosted between Iran and Saudi Arabia have paved the way for the two countries to start political talks. The advisor, Hussein Allawi, said that “Iraq's endeavor, through the efforts made by Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, aims to bring the region to the stage of regional harmony, stability, cooperation and development.”He added, “The good offices led by Iraq in restoring stability in the region through the Saudi-Iranian dialogue initiative to reduce escalation and normalize relations, come in this context, which prompted al-Kadhimi to play this role since the launch of the first unannounced talks between the two parties on April 9, 2021.” He noted, “The success of the first round, despite the apparent difficulties in the beginning due to the accumulation of crises and the accompanying media and political charging, resulted in the holding of four other rounds of this dialogue, which was successful since its inception.

That made the two sides continue to hold rounds of dialogue, which amounted to five rounds, until it was announced through the media.”Allawi pointed out that “these rounds of dialogue, which were mostly security-oriented, paved the way for a political dialogue that is expected to be successful, based on its introductions that are expressed through official statements in both countries.”The advisor said the hosting of the talks has moved the course of Saudi-Iranian relations to a stage of understanding and exchanging views on many regional issues and setting paths for solutions and strategic initiatives, Al Alam reported.