This is the first visit by a Saudi official to Tehran in more than seven years.
Tehran, Iran – Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirollahian received his Saudi counterpart at the Foreign Ministry before bilateral talks and held a press conference on Saturday afternoon.
The Saudi minister said he would also meet Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who just finished a tour of Latin America.
During the press conference, the two diplomats hailed the restoration of diplomatic ties, which they said would be of paramount importance to improving security across the region.
Amirullahian said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran did not compare security and militarization, and considers security a comprehensive concept that includes political, economic, cultural, commercial and social dimensions among all countries in the region.”
The Iranian foreign minister added that he discussed a wide range of issues with his counterpart, including trade relations and joint investments, in addition to accommodating Saudi tourists and pilgrims who might be interested in visiting Iran.
For his part, bin Farhan said that “mutual respect, non-interference in the internal affairs of the two countries, and adherence to the United Nations Charter” will be at the core of bilateral relations between the two countries, taking into account the interests of the two countries. .
“I would also like to highlight the two countries’ discussions on cooperation to ensure maritime security and limit the spread of weapons of mass destruction,” he said.
China brokered deal
Amirabadullahian and bin Farhan last met in early June in South Africa on the sidelines of a meeting of BRICS, the economic bloc made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
But this is the first visit by a Saudi official to Iran since 2016, when Riyadh severed diplomatic ties after its diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad came under attack after it executed a Shiite religious leader in Saudi Arabia.
Tehran and Riyadh agreed to reopen their embassies within two months as part of a China-brokered deal signed in Beijing on March 10, but while diplomatic relations have been restored, reopening the embassy buildings has been more difficult.
Iran reopened its embassy in Riyadh on June 6, followed by its consulate general in Jeddah and its mission in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) the next day.
Tehran has reportedly chosen Alireza Enayati, a former envoy to Kuwait and deputy foreign ministry for regional affairs, as its ambassador to the kingdom. But Enayati missed the reopening ceremony, and Iran has not confirmed that he has started working at the embassy in Riyadh.
It was opened by Iranian Ambassador Ali Reza Bigdili, Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs, who said, “We are witnessing the opening of a new chapter in bilateral and regional relations.”
Meanwhile, it is unclear when the Saudi embassy will reopen. Amirabad Ellahian said earlier that Saudi Arabia has chosen an ambassador to Tehran, but the kingdom has yet to publicly confirm his identity.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that a Saudi team has been working out of a luxury hotel in the Iranian capital for weeks as the two sides work to officially reopen the embassy buildings.
The Saudi foreign minister’s visit to Tehran comes a week after US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken traveled to Riyadh for high-level talks.
Soon after, it was confirmed that Iraq was able to repay $2.7 billion of its debt incurred to Iran from importing natural gas.
The US had previously blocked the money based on sanctions it unilaterally imposed on Iran after President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018 from the 2015 nuclear deal. Washington said the money could only be used “for humanitarian and other non-sanctionable transactions”. .
Part of the money was earmarked for the expenses of Iranian pilgrims attending the hajj in Saudi Arabia, while 80 million euros ($87 million) was reportedly sent to the Iranian mission at the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank.
Meanwhile, media reports indicate that Iran and the United States held indirect talks in Oman with the aim of reducing tensions, which could lead to results regarding Tehran’s nuclear program, the exchange of prisoners, and the release of frozen Iranian funds.
At the same time, the agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia has begun to reduce tensions across the region, including in Yemen where the two sides have backed opposing sides in the devastating war.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is backed by Tehran, was welcomed back to the Arab League last month. Saudi Arabia, along with several other Arab countries, has thrown its weight behind the opposition in Syria.
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