Top Diplomats Arrange for Revival of Iran-Saudi Ties
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia held a meeting in South Africa to weigh plans for the full restoration of relations and broaden regional and economic cooperation between Tehran and Riyadh.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud held a meeting on the sidelines of a foreign ministerial BRICS summit and a ‘Friends of BRICS’ meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, on Friday.
Amirabdollahian expressed satisfaction with the good progress made in bilateral ties, saying the ambassadors of the two countries have been introduced fortunately and the stage has been set for the opening of the embassies and consulates of the two countries, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported.
He also thanked Saudi Arabia for making preparations and providing facilities for Iran’s Hajj pilgrims.
The top Iranian diplomat added that in the previous talks, the two sides discussed the necessity of strengthening the commercial and economic relations between the two countries, and that his Saudi counterpart’s upcoming visit to Tehran will be an opportunity for further discussions and exchange of views aimed at boosting bilateral relations in various fields.
Amirabdollahian also considered BRICS as a new opportunity for multilateral cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia and other member countries of this group, especially in economic and commercial fields.
For his part, the Saudi foreign minister expressed satisfaction with the very good progress achieved in bilateral relations with Iran.
Bin Farhan thanked the Iranian side for the valuable assistance in welcoming the Saudi technical delegation in order to lay the groundwork for the opening of the Saudi embassy and consulate in Iran.
He added that with the very good bilateral cooperation, the two sides quickly passed the stages of appointing ambassadors and setting the stage for the opening of political and consular missions, and the two states are moving towards a new stage in their relations, which will serve the interests of the two nations and the entire region.
The top Saudi diplomat also said he will visit Tehran soon.
The two sides also relayed the warm greetings of the top authorities of the two countries to each other.