Reports say the foreign ministries of Iran and Saudi Arabia met in Beijing. Paving the way for normal relations under a surprise China-brokered agreement.
According to Iran’s foreign ministry, the ministers discussed measures to reopen embassies and consulates.
The reopening of embassies and the appointment of ambassadors are on the schedule. Which is following an agreement brokered by China to restore relations between the rivals.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian colleague Hossein Amirabdollahian met for the first time in Beijing. To discuss the next steps in their diplomatic rapprochement. The meeting was the first official contact between Saudi Arabia’s top envoys and Iran’s top envoys since 2016.
Prince Faisal and Amirabdollahian are seen greeting each other before sitting down together in a video posted on the television channel’s official Twitter.
According to sources, the talks occurred after three distinct phone calls between the two foreign ministers. During which they discussed the next steps required to resume their diplomatic missions. And reactivate previous agreements.
Choosing China “came as an extension of Beijing’s positive role in reaching the agreement. And facilitating communication between the two countries,” an unidentified source in Riyadh told Asharq al-Awasat on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia, Iran, and China announced on March 10 that they would resume diplomatic relations within 60 days, stating that all joint agreements between the two countries, including the security cooperation agreement, as well as agreements on economy, trade, investment, technology, science, culture, sports, and youth, would be reactivated.
Saudi Arabia severed ties with Iran in 2016 following the storming of its embassy in Tehran during a dispute between the two nations.
At the time, the Kingdom requested that Iranian diplomats depart the nation within 48 hours, while its embassy staff was evacuated from Tehran.