According to a report, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations, and reopen embassies within two months after a meeting of two security officials in Beijing on Friday. Reportedly, Iranian and Saudi media said a statement by the two countries emphasised a respect for sovereignty and non interference in each others internal affairs. According to the report, they also agreed to activate a security cooperation agreement signed in 2001 as well as another accord on trade, economy and investment.
Reportedly, the two sunni and shi’ite muslim powers who have been estranged for years backed opposite sides in proxy wars in Yemen, Syria and elsewhere. According to the report, Arabia cut ties with Iran after its embassy in Iran was stormed following Saudi’s execution of shi’ite muslim cleric Nimre Baqir al Nimre in 2016. Reportedly, a critic of the Saudi government, he was beheaded amongst 47 others executed, including sunnis who had been convicted of involvment in terrorist attacks linked to al-qaeda.
According to the report, Iran’s foreign minister said that normalizing relations offered great prospects for both countries and for the middle east. Reportedly, he tweeted, ‘The neighbourhood policy, as the key access to the Iranian government’s foreign policy, is strongly moving in the right direction and the diplomatic apparatus is actively behind the preparation of more regional steps’.