TEHRAN (Iran News) – The top Iranian and Saudi diplomats underscore the need to implement a landmark China-brokered reconciliation agreement in an attempt to enhance mutual trust and help boost regional security.
In a joint statement issued Thursday after a meeting in Beijing, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, expressed readiness to remove all impediments to the expansion of bilateral ties.
The two sides also agreed to develop cooperation in any field that can ensure the security and stability of the region as well as the interests of its nations.
They further underscored the importance of dialog on ways to bolster bilateral relations and activate a security cooperation agreement, as well as a general cooperation deal in the fields of economy, trade, investment, technology, science, culture, sports and youth.
In their joint statement, Iran and Saudi Arabia also agreed to reopen their embassies in Tehran and Riyadh, together with consulate generals in Mashhad and Jeddah within a deadline already specified.
They also agreed to keep up coordination between the two countries’ technical teams in order to examine resuming flights and visits by official delegations and those by the private sector, as well as facilitating visa process for their citizens, including for the Umrah pilgrimage.
Given the existing natural resources and economic capabilities that can be used to ensure the common interests of the two brotherly nations, the two sides agreed to increase meetings and consultations to further realize the positive prospects in bilateral relations.
At the end of their meeting, Amirabdollahian and Prince Faisal thanked China for hosting Thursday’s meeting.
Moreover, they expressed their gratitude to Switzerland for its efforts to protect the interests of Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, Prince Faisal renewed his invitation for Amir-Abdollahian to visit Saudi Arabia.
The top Iranian diplomat, for his part, invited his Saudi counterpart to travel to Tehran, an invitation which was welcomed by Prince Faisal.
On March 10, after several days of intensive negotiations hosted by China, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to resume their diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies and diplomatic missions after seven years of estrangement.
Meanwhile on Thursday, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced the official restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia after top diplomats from the two countries held a landmark meeting in the Chinese capital city of Beijing and issued a joint statement.
“I am delighted to announce the first official meeting between the Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers in Beijing following the [March 10] agreement between the two countries to resume formal ties, and three rounds of telephone conversations between the top diplomats,” Nasser Kanaani told reporters in Beijing on Thursday.
He hailed the “very good” negotiations held between Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan in a “totally positive and constructive atmosphere” in the Chinese capital.
As a result of the foreign ministerial meeting, the formal relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia have been officially re-established as of today, Kanaani noted.
The official highlighted that the two Muslim countries will exchange technical delegations within the next few days to make preparations for the reopening of embassies in Tehran and Riyadh as well as their respective consulates.
