Iran and Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministers met in South Africa to discuss plans for the complete restoration of relations and the expansion of regional and economic cooperation between Tehran and Riyadh.
On Friday in Cape Town, South Africa, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud met on the margins of a foreign ministerial BRICS summit and a ‘Friends of BRICS’ conference.
The Foreign Ministry website reported that Amirabdollahian was pleased with the progress made in bilateral relations, stating that the ambassadors of the two countries have been introduced and the stage has been set for the inauguration of embassies and consulates.
The top Iranian diplomat added that in previous discussions, the necessity of bolstering commercial and economic ties between the two countries was discussed, and that his Saudi counterpart’s upcoming visit to Tehran will provide an opportunity for additional discussions and exchanges of views aimed at bolstering bilateral relations in various fields.
He also praised Saudi Arabia for accommodating Iranian Hajj travelers.
Amirabdollahian viewed BRICS as a new opportunity for economic and commercial multilateral cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia and other members of this group.
The Saudi foreign minister, for his part, expressed satisfaction with the excellent progress made in bilateral relations with Iran.
Bin Farhan thanked the Iranian side for the valuable assistance in greeting the Saudi technical delegation in order to set the groundwork for the inauguration of the Saudi embassy and consulate in Iran.
He added that as a result of the excellent cooperation between the two nations, the stages of appointing ambassadors and preparing for the opening of political and consular missions were quickly completed, and the two states are moving toward a new phase in their relations that will serve the interests of both nations and the entire region.
Additionally, the senior Saudi diplomat stated he will shortly visit Tehran.
The two parties also exchanged cordial greetings from the respective countries’ highest officials.
