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21:21 GMT
RIYADH, Sept 1 (KUNA) -- GCC Secretary General Abdulrahman Al-Attiyah, in
Jeddah Saturday, said Iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki sent a
letter to his GCC counterparts wishing to launch free trade negotiations with
the six-nation Gulf bloc.
This Iranian desire is not new and it was preceded by contacts to launch
negotiations for the establishment of a free trade zone (FTZ) between Iran and
the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Al-Attiyah told a joint news
conference with Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Nezar Madani.
The GCC Foreign Ministers, who concluded a one-day meeting earlier today,
would convey a message to the Iranian side that a technical ministerial
committee would study the Iranian letter, he said.
On the donors' conference for Yemen, Al-Attiyah said the upcoming GCC
summit, due in Doha, Qatar, later this year, would adopt appropriate decisions
to backing yemen.
The Saudi Minister, meanwhile, said Riyadh was in contact with Baghdad to
open the Saudi Embassy in the Iraqi capital.
A Saudi diplomatic delegation visited Baghdad to prepare for the reopening
of the embassy. (pickup previous)
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KUNA 020021 Sep 07NNNN