Riyadh: We aim to start a new phase of relations with Iran

  The Cabinet of Ministers of Saudi Arabia has announced that Riyadh is seeking to start a new phase of relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to the official Saudi Arabian News Agency (WAS), the Saudi Cabinet on Tuesday discussed the measures taken as part of the implementation of the agreement on the resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the start of the work of the ambassadors of the two states, noting that is ready to open a new stage of relations with Iran, based on common interests and mutual respect. The resumption of diplomatic relations between Tehran and Riyadh was discussed at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Saudi Arabia, while on August 7, Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdullahian, at the head of an Iranian delegation, arrived in Saudi Arabia at the invitation of his Saudi counterpart.

During this visit, he met with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman. At this meeting, in addition to discussing regional and international developments and the efforts made in this direction, the parties considered bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, future opportunities for cooperation between the two states and ways of its development. Due to the great importance of relations between Tehran and Riyadh, the recent visit of Amir Abdullahian to Saudi Arabia received a wide response in the world media. Analysts and observers first described his meeting with the crown prince as an uplift in relations between Tehran and Riyadh. After five rounds of security talks in Iraq and three rounds of talks in Oman, Iran and Saudi Arabia finally reached an agreement in Beijing last March to resume diplomatic relations.