Iran, Saudi Arabia set to normalize diplomatic ties – Middle East

Riyadh – Saudi Arabia and Iran want to normalize their relations, according to their respective state media. The two countries had been considered enemies for years. Not only do they compete for regional supremacy in the Middle East, they also see themselves as religious protectors of different strands of Islam. As a first step towards rapprochement, the foreign ministers of the two countries want to meet “soon”. In addition, a number of regional cooperation agreements that had been terminated over the past two decades should be reinstated. Both states also agreed to respect each other’s state sovereignty and not to interfere in the internal affairs of their counterparts. (red, 10.3.2023)