In a first in more than a decade, Saudi FM arrives in Tehran

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + Al Mayadeen
17 Jun 2023 17:28

The Iranian FM welcomes his Saudi counterpart on his first visit to Iran since the two nations signed a Chinese-brokered agreement to restore diplomatic ties.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian receiving his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan (Tasnim)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan announced on Saturday that they agreed to form joint political and economic committees.

In a joint press conference in Tehran, Amir-Abdollahian expressed happiness with meeting with bin Farhan in Tehran and thanked Saudi Arabia for reopening Iranian diplomatic premises in the cities of Riyadh and Jeddah earlier this month.

"The Iranian side will also reciprocally provide the necessary facilities for the Saudi Arabian diplomatic staff in the cities of Tehran and Mashhad," the top Iranian diplomat indicated.

The Iranian FM said Saudi Arabia and Iran are set to establish joint cooperation committees in several sectors.

"We agree on the importance of forming joint political, border and economic committees and combating drug trafficking, including cooperation in the field of environment, and after the approval of the agreements of the two ministers by the high officials of the two countries, we will act in the direction of implementing the agreements reached," he said, as cited by Iranian news agency Mehr.

He added that he and bin Farhan addressed long-term economic cooperation and investment, as well as other files.

Amir-Abdollahian mentioned that he discussed with bin Farhan regional security, underlining that the security of the region can only be achieved by the countries of the region.

He stressed that "Iran has never considered security to be equivalent to militarism as security is an inclusive concept that has political, social, economic and commercial aspects and can be achieved through cooperation among the countries of the region."

The Iranian FM noted that he and bin Farhan "used this opportunity to discuss the necessity of supporting the oppressed people of Palestine, and we did."

"We believe that the issue of Palestine is fundamental and is a priority in the Islamic world and this is a common view of the two countries," he added.

On his part, bin Farhan said that talks with Amir-Abdollahian were positive, expressing Saudi Arabia's hopes to witness a boost in diplomatic cooperation with Iran and reopen its embassy in Tehran in the near future.

The Saudi Foreign Minister described Iran and Saudi Arabia as two important countries of the region, underlining that "the relations between the two countries are established based on basic principles such as mutual respect and non-interference in (each other's) internal affairs and respect for the UN Charter."

Bin Farhan also pointed to the importance of cooperation between the two countries in regional security, especially in maritime security, and that the region be free of weapons of mass destruction.

The top Saudi diplomat confirmed that he is set to meet with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi later on Saturday and extend to him an invitation by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz to visit Riyadh.

At the invitation of his Iranian counterpart, bin Farhan arrived Saturday in the Iranian capital, Tehran, heading a high-ranking delegation to hold talks with Iranian officials regarding bilateral ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Upon his arrival, bin Farhan was welcomed by Amir-Abdollahian at the venue of the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Following the welcoming ceremony, the two top diplomats held a meeting at the Ministry.

This is the Saudi minister's first visit to Iran since the two nations signed on March 10 a Chinese-brokered agreement to restore diplomatic ties after several years of rift.

Iranian news agency Mehr cited sources as saying that the Saudi embassy in Tehran will reopen its doors during bin Farhan's visit.

Earlier, Nour News reported that bin Farhan is conveying a message from Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi over expanding the relations between the two nations.

In early June, bin Farhan and Amir-Abdollahian met in South Africa to discuss preparations for the full restoration of relations and expanding regional and economic cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

It is noteworthy that Tehran reopened its embassy in Riyadh in early June, some three months after the two sides agreed to reestablish bilateral relations.