Iranian, Saudi Top Diplomats Hold Talks in Riyadh


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud held talks in Riyadh on Thursday.

They discussed the relations between Tehran and Riyadh, issues of mutual interest concerning the Muslim world, as well as regional and international developments.

Heading a delegation, Amirabdollahian has traveled to Riyadh for an official visit at the official invitation of the Saudi foreign minister.

Alireza Enayati, the country’s new ambassador to Saudi Arabia, is accompanying the foreign minister in the trip and is scheduled to officially start his mission in the Saudi capital.

The Iranian and Saudi top diplomats have met four times since an agreement to restore ties between the two countries back in March.

On August 6, the Saudi Embassy in Tehran conveyed a diplomatic communication to the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reaffirming the uninterrupted nature of the embassy's official operations.

It was reported earlier that the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and its Consulate General in Mashhad have officially resumed their activities.

The Saudi Chargé d’affaires arrived in Tehran a couple of weeks ago, and the new chargé d’affaires of the Iranian Embassy in Saudi Arabia is anticipated to embark on a journey to Riyadh in the near future.

On March 10, after several days of intensive negotiations hosted by China, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic ties and reopen embassies seven years after their relations were severed.

In a joint statement after signing the agreement, Tehran and Riyadh highlighted the need to respect each others’ national sovereignty and refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of one another.

They agreed to implement a security cooperation agreement signed in April 2001 and another accord reached in May 1998 to boost economic, commercial, investment, technical, scientific, cultural, sports, and youth affairs cooperation.