Saudi Arabia, Iran Agree to Restore Relations as Top Diplomats Meet

On Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s and Iran’s Foreign Ministers met in Beijing to discuss key details in the resumption of their relations following a landmark agreement mediated by China last month.

In the highest-level meeting between the two sides in more than seven years, Iran’s Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud signed an agreement to reopen embassies and consulates in their mutual countries, according to Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The two sides – previously staunch adversaries who’d severed diplomatic relations in 2016 – also agreed to examine ways to expand their cooperation, including the resumption of flights, mutual trips from official delegations and the private sector, and facilitating visas, according to their statement, released by Iran.

“The two sides emphasized their readiness to eliminate all the obstacles facing the expansion of cooperation between the two countries,” the statement read.

Embassies would be opened in Riyadh and Tehran and consulates in Jeddah and Mashhad.

Iran’s Amir-Abdollahian said the meeting with his Saudi counterpart was “positive” in a statement on Twitter.

Discussions focused on “the beginning of official diplomatic relations” between the two nations, “emphasizing stability, stable security and development of the region,” he said.

The meeting was the highest-level gathering of officials from Iran and Saudi Arabia in more than seven years and comes after the two sides agreed to reestablish diplomatic ties following talks in Beijing in March.

Video released by Saudi state media on Thursday showed the two ministers joining hands while posing for photos, encouraged by Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang who was standing in the middle.

The resumption of relations between the two countries has been broadly seen as a diplomatic victory for China in a Gulf region that has long been considered part of the US’ domain of influence.

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi called the agreement a “victory for dialogue and a victory for peace,” and framed it as part of China’s “constructive role in facilitating the proper settlement of hot-spot issues around the world,” according to a statement from China’s Foreign Ministry in March when the deal was announced.