"We sent an invitation to the foreign minister to visit Saudi Arabia, but this intention to visit has not become a fact ... But any time he sees fit to come, we are ready to receive him," Prince Saud told reporters at a news conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia is a leading backer of rebels fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is a close ally of the kingdom's main rival, Shi'ite Muslim power Iran.

Referring to regional developments, Prince Saud said "We'll negotiate with them (Iran), we'll talk with them,".

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said earlier that he will travel to Saudi Arabia at the proper time to discuss grounds for the enhancement of cooperation between Tehran and Riyadh.

“The expansion of relations with the Persian Gulf littoral states is among the priorities of the [Iranian] Foreign Ministry. Iran’s ties with the littoral states of the Persian Gulf are ever growing, and we are trying to upgrade these relations to an excellent level,” Zarif said.

NJF/NJF