Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said the Kingdom is hoping to see Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi visit Riyadh following an invitation from King Salman bin Abdulaziz…reports Asian Lite News
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Iran look forward to enhancing their bilateral relations, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah has affirmed.
This keenness comes in continuation of the steps taken toward the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two brotherly countries, the Saudi foreign minister said in a joint press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
Prince Faisal also appreciated Iran’s support of the Kingdom’s bid to host the World Expo 2030.
The Saudi minister highlighted the sincere and serious keenness of the Kingdom and Iran on implementing the terms of the agreement to resume their diplomatic relations.
“The agreement benefits the two countries and their peoples through the enhancement of mutual trust, expansion of cooperation, and consolidation of regional stability,” he added.
Prince Faisal said that Riyadh is looking forward to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to the Kingdom upon an invitation from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Prince Faisal said that a resumption of the Saudi and Iranian diplomatic missions and their respective ambassadors in each other’s capitals represents an important step toward improving bilateral relations.
The foreign minister reiterated the Kingdom’s keenness on discussing mechanisms to activate agreements previously signed with Iran, especially those related to security and economy, stressing the importance of maintaining consultation and coordination between the two countries’ foreign ministries during the coming period.
Concluding his remarks, Prince Faisal reiterated the importance of implementing the terms the two countries have agreed upon, expressing hopes for continued cooperation with the Iranian side and for launching a new stage of bilateral relations built on shared interests and mutual respect.
Both the top diplomats have they discussed means of intensifying consultative meetings at the bilateral and multilateral levels to achieve more positive prospects and serve the interests of the two countries and peoples.
The meeting was attended by the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Ministry for Political Affairs, Dr. Saud Al-Sati.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia are progressing step by step, saying the Saudi embassy in Tehran and consulate general in the northeastern city of Mashhad have resumed their operations based on the agreement between the two countries.
Iran and Saudi Arabia announced in April the resumption of diplomatic relations with immediate effect, seven years after Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran in 2016 in response to the attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran after the kingdom executed a Shiite cleric.
In early June, Iran reopened its embassy in the Saudi capital of Riyadh as well as its consulate general and representative office to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah.
In June, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that Iran faces no obstacle to expanding relations with Muslim countries.
Raisi made the remarks in a meeting with visiting Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in the capital Tehran.
He welcomed the resumption of ties between the two “important and influential” countries of the Muslim world, saying that dialogue and interaction between Tehran and Riyadh benefit the two nations and are necessary in line with good neighborliness.
Noting that Muslim states have broadly welcomed the normalization of the Tehran-Riyadh relations, Raisi expressed confidence in overcoming difficulties and problems facing West Asia through cooperation and dialogue among regional states.
Officials discuss defence ties in Moscow
Saudi Arabia’s assistant defence minister Talal Al-Otaibi, engaged in discussions with a senior Iranian defence official during the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security.
Al-Otaibi is seen with Aziz Nasirzadeh, Iran’s deputy chief of staff for armed forces along with delegations from both nations, in images shared by the Saudi Ministry of Defence on X, formerly Twitter.
Leading the Saudi delegation at this security conference, Al-Otaibi held meetings with high-ranking officials and delegation leaders from various countries.
The ministry said that these discussions encompassed reviewing bilateral relations with different nations and seeking avenues to amplify collaborative efforts in defence and security domains.
The annual security conference, hosted in Moscow, gathers ministers, military figures, and defense policymakers worldwide to address paramount global and regional security concerns.
In a stride towards fortifying ties, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian visited Riyadh on Thursday, responding to the official invitation extended by Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
Saudi Arabia hopes to see Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi visit the Kingdom following an invitation from King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Thursday in a press conference with his Iranian counterpart.
