Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal arrived in Muscat today to deliver to Sultan Qaboos of Oman a message concerning bilateral relations from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz. On arrival, he stated that his visit gives him an opportunity to exchange views with his Omani counterpart Yousef bin Alawi bin Abdullah. He went on to express the hope that Gulf/Iranian relations would be characterized by stability and tranquillity, saying the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) wish to maintain relations with Iran and avoid any provocative act from either side, and in particular desire a settlement of the issue of the three islands that are in dispute between Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In respect of the latter issue, he hoped that Iran would respond positively to the call of UAE President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan for dialogue, adding: "All problems can easily be solved if good intentions exist."

Referring to the visit to the Kingdom of Iranian Foreign Minister Dr. Kamal Khurazi, Prince Saud said that this was mainly aimed at coordinating positions on oil prices, but that there was some discussion on the issue of the three disputed islands. He declared: "We expressed the wish that Iran solve the problem of the three islands in a direct manner with the UAE, and the Iranian foreign minister expressed his country's desire to settle problems through peaceful means." He confirmed that Saudi Arabia and Iran share the view that the oil market situation is deteriorating, with supply greater than demand. Prince Saud urged OPEC member states to adhere to the agreements, adding that they need to collaborate with the non-OPEC oil-producing countries.

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