RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in Tehran on Saturday, where he met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Iran’s top diplomat Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
At the Presidential Palace, Prince Faisal invited President Raisi to the kingdom on behalf of King Salman. He also conveyed the greetings and wishes of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the President and people of Iran for their country’s continued progress and prosperity.
Prince Faisal described his talks with his Iranian counterpart as “positive” and said the discussions “underscore the need for non-interference in internal affairs”.
Prince Faisal and Amir-Abdollahian held bilateral meetings at the Iranian Foreign Ministry building, followed by a joint press conference.
Saudi Arabia and Iran announced in March that they had reached an agreement, brokered by China, to restore diplomatic ties seven years after formal ties between the two countries were severed.
Prince Faisal said Riyadh hoped that restoring relations with Tehran would positively impact regionally and internationally.
“I would like to point out the importance of cooperation between the two countries on regional security, especially maritime security, and the importance of cooperation between all regional countries to ensure that it does not contain weapons of mass destruction,” he said.
Amir-Abdollahian said the two sides were exploring the establishment of a “joint economic, political and border committee”.
They also discussed the importance of strengthening joint coordination on many regional and international issues of common concern to achieve security and stability in the region and the world.
Developments on the regional and international scene were also discussed.
Under the agreement signed in March, Riyadh and Tehran agreed to reopen embassies and consulates in their countries and implement security and economic cooperation agreements signed more than 20 years ago.
Diplomatic Relations Between Iran and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in 2016 after pro-regime protesters attacked its embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad. Iran reopened its embassy in Riyadh earlier this month.
Prince Faisal said work was underway to establish diplomatic and consular missions in both countries.
The Saudi foreign minister added that he hopes that bilateral relations will have a positive impact on Saudi Arabia and Iran and open horizons for cooperation in various fields.
After meeting with Amirabdollahian, Prince Faisal said the Saudi king and crown prince were looking forward to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi “accepting the invitation to visit the Kingdom soon, God willing.”
Speaking at a televised joint media event, Amirabdollahian said security was vital for regional countries.
“Iran has never equated security with militarism but sees it as a broad concept encompassing political, cultural, social, economic, and commercial aspects,” he said.
Amirabdollahian added that the two sides were exploring the establishment of a “joint economic, political and border committee.”
The Saudi minister was expected to officially inaugurate the kingdom’s embassy in Tehran after the two nations reopened their diplomatic missions in recent weeks.
In March, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies after seven years of tensions.
