MIDDLE EAST:The leading Sunni and Shia nations have agreed to use their 'privileged status' to help diffuse threats to the region's stability, writes Michael Jansen
During their summit on Saturday, Saudi King Abdullah and Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad pledged to stand together against attempts to stir Sunni-Shia strife, calling it the greatest danger threatening the worldwide Muslim community.
Mr Ahmadinejad said that due to their "privileged status" as the leading Sunni and Shia nations, "these countries can play a decisive role in resolving the region's problems".
The leaders specifically agreed to promote Palestinian unity, seek a powersharing agreement between the Lebanese government and the opposition, and cultivate Sunni-Shia co-existence in Iraq.
The importance for Saudi Arabia of the encounter - the first one-to-one meeting between the two men - was signalled by the appearance of the octogenarian king in the party that greeted the president at the airport. The king also hosted a banquet for his guest, who departed late at night for Tehran.
The summit, held at Iran's behest, was intended to avert a crisis between the region's main Sunni and Shia oil powers, which have recently found themselves on opposite sides in regional conflicts.
The Saudis back Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah party against Hamas; support the pro-US Lebanese government against Hizbullah; and have threatened to supply military aid to Iraqi Sunni groups fighting Shia militias backed by Iran.
The Iranians provide financial aid to the Palestinian government formed a year ago by the Sunni fundamentalist Hamas movement; funnel military aid to the Shia Lebanese Hizbullah movement which leads the opposition challenging the Beirut government; and enjoy close connections with Shia fundamentalist parties which dominate the Iraqi government. Shia militias attacking Sunnis are backed by Tehran.
King Abdullah and Mr Ahmadinejad, supported by their foreign ministers, prince Saudi al-Faisal and Manouchehr Mottaki, seem to have begun untangling these rival alliances in order to defuse threats to the stability of the region.
Mr Ahmadinejad endorsed Saudi efforts to mediate in the formation of Palestinian and Lebanese unity governments, indicating that Tehran is prepared to follow the Saudi lead and co-operate in these endeavours.
High-ranking envoys of the two countries have met several times this year to work out how to deal with the Palestinian and Lebanese governmental disputes.
Mr Mottaki revealed that Iran would attend the March 10th meeting in Baghdad, which is set to bring together regional and international players with the aim of curbing sectarian violence in Iraq and achieving national reconciliation.
He made it clear, however, that there would be no direct talks between Iran and the US on its nuclear programme.
The Saudi Press Agency reported yesterday that Mr Ahmadinejad, who represents the conservative faction in Tehran's clerical regime, had expressed support for the Saudi plan adopted by the 2002 Arab summit.
This initiative calls for full Israeli withdrawal from Arab territory occupied in 1967 in exchange for full normalisation with the Arab world.
However, a spokesman for Iran's presidency denied that the plan had been discussed with the Saudis, suggesting some backtracking once Mr Ahmadinejad returned to Tehran.
His predecessor, the reformist Muhammad Khatami, approved the plan several years ago.
Syria, Iran's ally, and Egypt, one of the group of pro-western Arab states that includes Saudi Arabia and Jordan, heralded the summit's results.
Damascus's reaction suggests that it may co-operate in the effort to end the deadlock in Lebanon.
The summit might also lead to an easing of Tehran's regional isolation and improve chances for the resolution of the stand-off between Iran and the West over Iran's enrichment of uranium.