By Ghazanfar Ali Khan

Riyadh, Apr 19 (Arab News): Iran and Yemen were among a range of bilateral and regional topics that figured prominently during the talks on Monday between Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and Catherine Ashton, the European Union's foreign policy chief.

Ashton, who was on her first visit to the Kingdom, arrived in the region to strengthen ties between Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and the European Union.

Michael Mann, Ashton's spokesman, said the two "voiced concern over Tehran's growing interference in the affairs of the member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council."

The two sides also shared their views on human rights, terrorism, nuclear weapons nonproliferation, trade and energy.

Asked about the specifics of the subjects taken up for discussions with Saudi officials, the chief spokesman said that the two sides discussed the responses to the political transitions in Egypt and Tunisia, the situation in Bahrain and the political unrest in Yemen and the region as a whole.

Ashton, he said, sought to establish better political relations with the Kingdom. She also met with GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif Al-Zayani.

"It is vital to maintain close links to the Gulf states because we face many common challenges and share many interests, from putting momentum into the Middle East peace process to resolving the Iranian nuclear issue, to discussing our responses to the political changes," said Ashton in a statement. "I believe my visit can lay the foundations for a close, frank and open political dialogue between the EU and the Gulf states on all these subjects and more. I also hope to gain a better insight into the political situation in these countries, and I am looking forward to representing the EU at the EU-GCC meeting, which will focus very much on recent developments in the region."

Asked about the meeting between Al-Zayani and Ashton, Mann said that the talks with the GCC official focused on several topics. An EU-GCC Joint Action Program was approved by the two blocs last year. This program will be the highlight of the discussions in the GCC-EU foreign ministers' meeting in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. Mann said that the GCC and EU foreign ministers will also discuss at the meeting ways of resolving the crisis in Yemen.

The EU foreign policy chief, who wrapped up her two-day visit to Riyadh, traveled to Doha on Monday evening.