Saudi foreign minister visits Iran amid improving relations

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has arrived in the Iranian capital, Tehran, for his first visit since 2016 amid rapprochement between the two regional states.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian told a press conference on Saturday following delegation-level talks that both Tehran and Riyadh agreed to form joint political, economic and border committees to pursue common interests.

The two sides also agreed to combat drug trafficking and expand cooperation in the field of environment, he said, adding that the committees will start work once the higher authorities give approval.

Amirabdollahian said the two chief diplomats also emphasised that regional security “will only be ensured by regional actors”, in both military and economic realms.

Saudi Arabia had severed diplomatic relations with Iran in 2016 following the storming of its diplomatic missions.

But the two rivals agreed to restore ties in March after two-year negotiations mediated by Iraq and Oman. The breakthrough talks were hosted by the Chinese government in Beijing.

Reopening embassies

Before the meeting on June 17, the two foreign ministers held two meetings at neutral venues since the March rapprochement. The first meeting was held in Beijing in April, followed by another meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS meeting in South Africa in May.

Earlier this month, Iran reopened its embassy in the Saudi capital Riyadh and the consulate and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation mission in the port city of Jeddah.

It came weeks after Alireza Enayati, a senior diplomat and former ambassador to Kuwait, was appointed as the new Iranian envoy to Saudi Arabia.

Amirabdollahian thanked the Saudi government for its “assistance in the reopening of the embassy in Riyadh and consulate in Jeddah,” saying he was happy that the two top diplomats were able to meet in Tehran within 100 days of the agreement reached in Beijing.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan, for his part, said today’s discussions in Tehran were “positive and clear” and that his trip aimed to “complete the agreement” on the resumption of diplomatic ties between the two sides.

He expressed hope that the normalisation of ties between the two countries will “have a positive effect on the region and the Islamic world,” while emphasising the importance of cooperation between Tehran and Riyadh in regional security, especially in the field of maritime security.

He added that relations between the two Persian Gulf neighbours are based on “mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of the two countries.”

Bin Farhan also said he will meet with Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi to “convey greetings” from Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and extend an invitation to him to visit the Arab kingdom.

He also announced that the Saudi Embassy in Tehran will be reopened soon, without specifying the exact time.