POLITICSSAUDI ARABIA
Saudi Arabia, Iran agree to restore diplomatic ties
6 hours ago6 hours ago
Saudi and Iranian officials held bilateral talks in Beijing that concluded with an agreement to restore diplomatic ties. Ties have been severed since 2016.
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Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed on Friday to resume diplomatic ties that have been severed for years, following Beijing-hosted talks which went on for four days.
The two countries plan to reopen their respective embassies in Tehran and Riyadh within two months, they said in a joint statement published on the Saudi news agency SPA’s website.
They also vowed to respect countries’ “sovereignty and not interfere in internal affairs.”
“As a result of the talks, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to resume diplomatic relations and re-open embassies…within two months,” Iranian news agency IRNA reported.
The Iranian Mizan news agency shared a video of the ceremony of inking the agreement on Twitter.
Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016. The decision followed the storming of the Saudi embassy in Tehran after the Sunni kingdom executed a Shiite Muslim cleric.
What do we know about the agreement?
Delegations from Saudi Arabia and Iran held discussions in Beijing from March 6 to 10.
As per Friday’s announcement, the two countries agreed on a meeting between their top diplomats to implement the restoration of ties and organize the logistics of exchanging ambassadors.
Riyadh and Tehran also agreed to activate a 2001 security cooperation agreement, as well as a general economy, trade and investment agreement signed in 1998, according to the joint statement.
Both countries thanked China for hosting and sponsoring the round of talks. They also thanked Middle Eastern neighbors Iraq and Oman for hosting previous rounds in 2021 and 2022.
How did the US and China react?
The US said it was aware of reports regarding the restoration of ties between the Middle East’s longtime rivals. A White House National Security Council spokesperson, however, referred further details to the Saudis.
“Generally speaking, we welcome any efforts to help end the war in Yemen and de-escalate tensions in the Middle East region. De-escalation and diplomacy together with deterrence are key pillars of the policy President [Joe] Biden outlined during his visit to the region last year,” the spokesperson told Reuters news agency.
China’s top diplomat Wang Yi hailed the agreement as a “victory” for dialogue and peace, in a Foreign Ministry statement at the conclusion of the talks. Wang described the restoration of ties as “major good news” in the current turbulent war.
The agreement is seen as a diplomatic victory for China in the Middle East region, where a once active US role has been in decline recently.
Meanwhile, both Oman and Iraq welcomed the news. Iraq’s state news agency described the agreement as “turning a new page.”
rmt/sms (dpa, Reuters)
