Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed on Friday to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies.
The agreement was reached at an initiative by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
A joint communique by Saudi Arabia, Iran and China, and carried by the Saudi Press Agency, said:
“In response to the noble initiative of President Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, of China’s support for developing good neighborly relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran;
“And based on the agreement between President Xi Jinping and the leaderships in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, whereby the People’s Republic of China would host and sponsor talks between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran;
“Proceeding from their shared desire to resolve the disagreements between them through dialogue and diplomacy, and in light of their brotherly ties;
“Adhering to the principles and objectives of Charters of the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and International conventions and norms;
“The delegations from the two countries held talks during the period March 6-10, 2023 in Beijing - the delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia headed by Dr. Musaad bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, Minister of State, Member of the Council of Ministers, and National Security Advisor, and the delegation of Iran headed by Admiral Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“The Saudi and Iranian sides expressed their appreciation and gratitude to the Republic of Iraq and the Sultanate of Oman for hosting rounds of dialogue that took place between both sides during the years 2021-2022. The two sides also expressed their appreciation and gratitude to the leadership and government of the People’s Republic of China for hosting and sponsoring the talks, and the efforts it placed towards its success.
“The three countries announce that an agreement has been reached between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran, that includes an agreement to resume diplomatic relations between them and re-open their embassies and missions within a period not exceeding two months, and the agreement includes their affirmation of the respect for the sovereignty of states and the non-interference in internal affairs of states.
“They also agreed that the ministers of foreign affairs of both countries shall meet to implement this, arrange for the return of their ambassadors, and discuss means of enhancing bilateral relations.
“They also agreed to implement the Security Cooperation Agreement between them, which was signed on March 17, 2001, and the General Agreement for Cooperation in the Fields of Economy, Trade, Investment, Technology, Science, Culture, Sports, and Youth, which was signed on May 27, 1998.
“The three countries expressed their keenness to exert all efforts towards enhancing regional and international peace and security.”
The agreement was signed by Musaad bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, Saudi Minister of State, Member of the Council of Ministers, and National Security Advisor, Ali Shamkhani, Iran’s Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Director of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee.
