Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers agreed to meet during the holy month of Ramadan to implement a landmark bilateral reconciliation deal, sources said on Monday.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollaian, held their second telephone conversation in less than a week, and agreed to meet before the end of Ramadan. The report did not specify the exact date or location of the meeting.
Reportedly, the two sides have discussed certain common issues including the ‘trilateral agreement’ signed in China over the phone, and are keen to meet in person in the coming future.
The two arch-Middle Eastern rivals agreed to reconcile after years, brokered by China and announced on March 10. The surprise agreement will unfold new development in the political and economic contexts of the Middle East.
Previously, Tehran and Riyadh in a joint statement had announced that within the next two months, the two countries will resume diplomatic relations, and reopen their embassies and diplomatic missions. To implement this bilateral agreement, it is deemed necessary for the two foreign ministers to meet in the coming weeks.
As per the agreement, “the two countries have emphasized to respect the sovereignty of one another, and avoid interfering in each other’s internal affairs”.
Riyadh cut relations after Iranian protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in 2016 following the Saudi execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr — just one in a series of flashpoints between the two longstanding regional rivals.
On March 19 that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi favorably received an invitation to visit Saudi Arabia from King Salman, according to an Iranian official said, though Riyadh has yet to confirm.
Reconciliation between Saudi Arabia, the largest crude oil exporter, and Iran strongly at odds with Western governments over its nuclear programs, has the potential to reshape the security and political situation in the region.
