UN Envoy Hails Iran-Saudi Diplomatic Ties' Benefits for Yemen
TEHRAN (Tasnim) –Hans Grundberg, the UN's special representative, praised the recent agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to resume diplomatic ties, saying it has positive implications for the entire region, especially Yemen.
Grundberg arrived in Tehran with a UN delegation to discuss the latest developments in Yemen.
In a meeting with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Asghar Khaji, the two discussed the outlook for peace in Yemen and exchange of prisoners of war.
Khaji stressed the need for a practical strategy to achieve these goals and improve the humanitarian situation in Yemen.
“The human catastrophe in Yemen needs to be improved as a top priority of the UN and the other players in that country,” Khaji added.
Grundberg expressed satisfaction with the Tehran-Riyadh political agreement, stating that it has favorable outcomes for the war-torn Yemeni nation and the region as a whole.
Following days of intensive talks in Beijing, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed on Friday to resume their diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies and diplomatic missions within the next two months.
Diplomatic relations between Tehran and Riyadh soured following the January 2016 execution of Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, an outspoken critic of the Saudi monarchy, in Saudi Arabia. Riyadh cut ties with Tehran afterwards, responding to attacks by angry protesters on its embassy in the Iranian capital.
Saudi Arabia’s military campaign against Yemen as well as the death of hundreds of Iranian Hajj pilgrims in a deadly crush in Saudi Arabia’s Mina in September 2015 had prepared the ground for the deterioration of tensions between Tehran and Riyadh.