Iran’s foreign minister said Friday that in a bid to normalize ties between Tehran and Riyadh, Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to re-open their embassies and consulates in the two countries in the coming days.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran’s Foreign Minister, made the remarks at a press conference in the Lebanese capital of Beirut after wrapping up his visit to the country.
“The last phone call between two foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia was on Eid al-Fitr. We both agreed to reopen embassies and consulate generals in the two countries in the coming days. Before the Eid al-Fitr, I invited my counterpart of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud to visit Tehran. We talked on the phone and he said he would accept my invitation and make positive response,” said Amir-Abdollahian.
He said the Iran-Saudi Arabia deal to normalize ties is in the interest of the two countries as well as the entire region, from which Lebanon will also benefit.
After talks facilitated by China, Saudi Arabia and Iran, together with China, released a joint statement in Beijing on March 10, agreeing to reopen their embassies and diplomatic missions within two months, hold talks between their foreign ministers on arrangement for the exchange of ambassadors, and explore ways to improve bilateral ties.
The agreement came after years of open hostility between Riyadh and Tehran, marking a significant development for the two nations and a boon to the security and stability of the Middle East.On April 6, the two countries announced the resumption of diplomatic relations with immediate effect.
