DATE=5/15/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-249415
TITLE=SAUDI / KHATAMI (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=LISA BRYANT
DATELINE=CAIRO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  IRAN'S PRESIDENT MOHAMMED KHATAMI ARRIVED IN SAUDI ARABIA
(TODAY/SATURDAY) FOR THE FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT BY AN IRANIAN 
LEADER IN TWO DECADES.  LISA BRYANT REPORTS FROM CAIRO THAT THE 
LANDMARK VISIT IS PART OF A REGIONAL TOUR AIMED AT BOOSTING 
RELATIONS BETWEEN IRAN AND ITS ARAB NEIGHBORS. 

TEXT:  PRESIDENT KHATAMI WAS MET AT THE JEDDAH AIRPORT BY SAUDI 
CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH, AS HE STARTED A VISIT TO THIS OIL-RICH 
COUNTRY.  THE STAY IS AIMED AT WARMING UP TIES BETWEEN SAUDI 
ARABIA AND IRAN, WHICH HAVE REMAINED FROSTY SINCE THE 1979 
IRANIAN REVOLUTION. 

DURING HIS STAY, PRESIDENT KHATAMI REPORTEDLY WILL MEET WITH 
SAUDI KING FAHD, CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH AND OTHER SENIOR SAUDI 
OFFICIALS.  HE THEN TRAVELS TO QATAR.

OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES, SAUDI ARABIA AND OTHER ARAB STATES 
HAVE ACCUSED IRAN OF TRYING TO EXPORT RADICAL ISLAM.  ONLY SYRIA 
SIDED WITH TEHRAN DURING IRAN'S EIGHT-YEAR WAR WITH IRAQ, IN THE 
1980S.  RELATIONS BETWEEN SAUDI ARABIA AND IRAN WERE FURTHER 
STRAINED IN 1987, WHEN HUNDREDS OF IRANIANS WERE KILLED BY SAUDI 
SECURITY FORCES DURING AN ANTI-WESTERN RALLY IN MECCA. 

TIES BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES HAVE IMPROVED SINCE PRESIDENT 
KHATAMI CAME TO POWER IN 1997.  MOST RECENTLY, THE TWO COUNTRIES 
REACHED AN AGREEMENT TO CUT OIL PRODUCTION TO HELP BOOST PRICES 
FOR OPEC MEMBER STATES. 

PRESIDENT KHATAMI FLEW TO JEDDAH FROM SYRIA, WHERE HE MET TWICE 
WITH THE COUNTRY'S PRESIDENT, HAFEZ ASSAD.  TALKS BETWEEN THE TWO
LEADERS REPORTEDLY TOUCHED ON WAYS TO DEAL WITH WHAT THEY 
CONSIDER TO BE ISRAELI THREATS TO THE REGION. 

THE IRANIAN PRESIDENT ALSO MET WITH MILITANT PALESTINIAN LEADERS 
FRIDAY, DURING WHICH HE REPORTEDLY CRITICIZED THE 1993 
PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI PEACE ACCORDS, AND TOLD THEM IRAN BACKED 
THEIR OPPOSITION TO ISRAEL. 

TEHRAN'S CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR THESE MILITANT GROUPS, INCLUDING 
HAMAS AND THE ISLAMIC JIHAD, HAS EARNED IRAN THE IRE OF THE 
UNITED STATES.

/// OPT /// ON SATURDAY, PRESIDENT KHATAMI OFFERED SIMILAR 
ENCOURAGEMENT TO LEADERS OF THE ARMED HEZBOLLA GROUP, WHICH IS 
FIGHTING ISRAELI OCCUPATION IN LEBANON.  HE REPORTEDLY PRAISED 
HEZBOLLA AS, IN HIS WORDS, A HUMANITARIAN MOVEMENT THAT WAS 
TRYING  TO LIBERATE LEBANON. /// END OPT ///

IN A SPEECH FRIDAY, PRESIDENT KHATAMI CALLED ON MUSLIM COUNTRIES 
TO SOLVE THEIR OWN DISPUTES, AND NOT RELY ON FOREIGN MILITARY AND
ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE.  BUT HIS WORDS ARE LIKELY TO BE MET WITH 
SKEPTICISM BY SAUDI ARABIA AND OTHER GULF COUNTRIES, WHICH DEPEND
HEAVILY ON U-S TROOPS FOR THEIR SECURITY.  (SIGNED)

NEB/LB/GE

15-May-99 3:46 PM EDT (1946 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.