A diplomatic delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday (April 12th) to launch the process of reopening Tehran's diplomatic representations in Saudi Arabia, a few days after a historic meeting in Beijing between the heads of diplomacy of the two countries. .
"
In accordance with the implementation of the agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia for the resumption of diplomatic activities (...), the Iranian technical delegation arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday at noon and was welcomed by officials Saudis
,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in a statement.
Links broken in 2016
The Iranian Foreign Ministry had mentioned on Sunday the visit of two delegations to Saudi Arabia, for Riyadh and Jeddah (large western city near the holy city of Mecca), in order to "prepare for the restoration" of bilateral
relations
.
"
The Iranian delegation will take the necessary measures to set up the embassy and consulate general in Riyadh and Jeddah, as well as the activity of the permanent representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation"
, added Nasser Kanani.
Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran severed ties in 2016 after Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad (northeast) were attacked by protesters in the Islamic Republic, following the execution by Riyadh of an important Shia cleric.
On Saturday, a Saudi diplomatic delegation traveled to Tehran to discuss the reopening of the kingdom's diplomatic representation in the Islamic Republic.
Dating in Beijing
This Wednesday, Nasser Kanani specified that the technical delegation of Saudi Arabia would leave Thursday for Mashhad, the second city of the country.
These reciprocal diplomatic visits follow the meeting with great fanfare of the Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Faisal ben Farhane, last week in Beijing, to implement the normalization initiated in the Chinese capital on March 10. .
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the two countries have maintained an enmity which has been characterized by often opposing positions on regional issues, sometimes supporting rival camps such as in Syria, Lebanon or Yemen.
“
Regarding the appointment of ambassadors, the first steps have been taken and the administrative process is underway
,” Nasser Kanani said on Monday during his weekly press conference.
The agreement reached in Beijing between Tehran and Riyadh should allow the two countries to reopen their embassies by mid-May and to implement economic and security cooperation agreements signed more than 20 years ago.
Their rapprochement should be formally sealed during a visit by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Riyadh, at the invitation of King Salman of Saudi Arabia, a trip planned after Ramadan, at the end of April.
