Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s agreement with Tehran to restore diplomatic ties does not mean that all differences have been resolved, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs has said.
The two countries agreed to restore their diplomatic relations after seven years of tensions. The China-brokered agreement was reached after several rounds of talks over the past two years in Iraq and Oman.
Riyadh and Tehran also agreed to reopen their embassies within the next two months and exchange of visits to build on the deal.
Prince Faisal affirmed that the agreement highlighted the mutual desire by both leaderships to “resolve disputes through communication and dialogue.”
Prince Faisal said that he was looking forward to meeting his Iranian counterpart soon to build on the agreement. “We are preparing to restore our diplomatic ties within two months, so it is normal for us to exchange visits in the future,” he said.
The foreign minister emphasised that restoring relations is a major step for two neighbouring countries of the size of Saudi Arabia and Iran, which both share several common threads such as religion, history and culture.
He reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to its responsibility of boosting regional and international security and stability. “We hope to open a new chapter with Iran and reinforce avenues of cooperation in a manner that would help strengthen security and stability and move forward development and prosperity, not only in our both countries, but in the entire region,” Prince Faisal said.
Faisal said that Iran’s continued development of its nuclear capabilities is still a concern for the Kingdom. “We have frequently called for the Gulf region and the Middle East to be free of weapons of mass destruction. We call on Iran to honour its nuclear pledges and intensify its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
