The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran will meet in the Chinese capital, Beijing, on Thursday, in the context of the two regional powers’ efforts to draw a roadmap for bilateral cooperation after Their diplomatic rapprochement last month Under a Chinese-brokered agreement, according to what an Iranian official and a Saudi-owned newspaper revealed.
The meeting between Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart, Hussein Amir Abdullahian, will be the first official meeting of its kind in more than seven years.
After years of hostility that fueled conflicts in the Middle East, Tehran and Riyadh agreed to end their diplomatic row and reopen their embassies under a deal facilitated by China last month.
In this context, a senior Iranian official said, “The two chief envoys agreed to meet on April 6 in Beijing because China facilitated the agreement.”
The Saudi-owned Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper quoted an unnamed source in Riyadh as saying that choosing China as a venue for the meeting “is an extension of Beijing’s positive role in reaching an agreement and facilitating communication between the two countries.”
She added that matters such as the resumption of relations announced last month and arrangements for the exchange of ambassadors would be discussed at the meeting.
The role played by China in secret to reach a détente in relations between Tehran and Riyadh has cast a stone in the scene in the Middle East, in which the United States has been playing the role of the main mediator for decades and flexing its security and diplomatic muscles.
“The era of US intervention in the region is over,” another Iranian official said. “Regional countries are able to maintain security and stability in the Middle East without Washington’s intervention.”
“The next steps will be discussed in the Beijing meeting, such as reopening the two embassies and appointing the two ambassadors.”
Saudi Arabia cut off relations with Iran in 2008 2016 After storming its embassy in Tehran, amid a dispute between the two countries over the execution of a Shiite cleric in the kingdom. Riyadh then asked the Iranian diplomats to leave within 48 hour and evacuated its embassy staff in Tehran.
Relations deteriorated a year ago 2015 After the intervention of Saudi Arabia and the UAE in the Yemen war, the Houthi group, allied with Iran, forced the Saudi-backed government out of the capital, Sanaa, and took control of it.
The kingdom blamed Tehran for arming the Houthis, who carried out missile and drone attacks on its cities and oil facilities.
And in general 2019Riyadh blamed Iran directly for a major attack on Aramco oil facilities that shut down half of its oil production.
On the other hand, Iran denied these accusations.
France 24/Archyde.com