Saudi Arabia and Iran restore diplomatic ties, visa facilities
Saudi Arabia and Iran formally restored diplomatic ties in a meeting in Beijing. Both countries also agreed to resume flights as well as facilitate the granting of visas to citizens.
Saudi Arabia and Iran stated this in a joint statement released after a decisive meeting between their foreign ministers in Beijing, China.
The move, which includes the granting of Umrah visas, was announced following a meeting between Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian during an official visit to Beijing.
Along with the resumption of flights and granting of visas, the agreement detailed the start of arrangements to reopen the embassies of the two countries in Riyadh and Tehran as well as consulates in Jeddah and Mashhad.
They also agreed to implement security and economic cooperation deals signed more than 20 years ago.
During a luncheon hosted by Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, Prince Faisal met Amirabdollahian and shortly after released a joint statement.
The two countries have also agreed to reestablish diplomatic ties through resuming visits by officials and private sector delegations.
The statement stressed the importance of activating the Beijing Agreement to enhance mutual trust and broaden the scope of cooperation in order to achieve security and stability in the region.
Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran held their first formal meeting in Beijing since China brokered a deal to restore friendly relations between the two regional powers.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian met in Beijing and discussed the bilateral issues on Thursday.
The FMs of the two countries agreed to reopen their diplomatic missions in their respective countries. It will encourage visits of official and private delegations and facilitate visas for Iranian and Saudi citizens.
Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers also discussed the resumption of their flights.
“The technical teams will continue coordination to examine the ways of expanding cooperation including the resumption of flights and bilateral visits of official and private sector delegations and facilitating the granting of visas for the citizens of the two countries,” read a joint statement.
Iran’s Amirabdollahian said the meeting with his Saudi counterpart was “positive”. “The emphasis on stability and sustainable security” were among the issues agreed upon, he wrote on Twitter.
After years of hostility, Saudi Arabia and Iran have revived their ties. China brokered this landmark agreement that demonstrated Beijing’s increasingly influential role in the region. It also reflected the diminishing role of the United States in the region.
