Iranian FM: Meetings with Saudi FM were Positive, Constructive

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian (SPA)
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Iranian FM: Meetings with Saudi FM were Positive, Constructive

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian (SPA)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said his talks with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, in Beijing were held in a "positive and constructive atmosphere."

Amirabdollahian declared Tehran's readiness to hold a joint economic commission session between the two countries, reiterating the necessity of developing financial, commercial, and investment relations.

The FM said the growth of economic relations and mutual investments could help strengthen ties.

In a tweet, Amirabdollahian said his meeting with his Saudi counterpart was "positive," adding that talks focused on "the beginning of official diplomatic relations" and emphasis on stability and sustainable security were among the issues agreed upon and "on the common agenda."

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanaani, told reporters accompanying the Iranian delegation that the official relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia officially began.

Kanaani explained that the foreign ministers held two rounds of talks, one behind closed doors.

The official IRNA news agency quoted Kanaani as saying that the two foreign ministers expressed the readiness of their countries to implement basic agreements between the two sides, including a comprehensive accord on cooperation and a security agreement, and they agreed to take steps in this respect gradually.

Kanaani went on to say that the Saudi and Iranian sides negotiated on the expansion of economic exchanges in both public and private sectors and that they underlined that the existing contracts between the two states pave the legal way for initiating and improving such activities.

They also plan to facilitate issuing visas and other related services to the nationals of both states to carry out economic and trade exchanges and the Umrah performers, Kanaani noted.



Saudi Arabia Expresses Concern over Military Escalation in Yemen after Israeli Airstrikes

The flag of Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The flag of Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Expresses Concern over Military Escalation in Yemen after Israeli Airstrikes

The flag of Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The flag of Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia expressed its deep concern on Sunday over the latest military escalation in Yemen after the Israeli attacks in the Houthi-controlled Yemeni port of Hodeidah.
The statement stressed that these developments "exacerbate the current tension in the region”.
In a statement on X platform, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “The Ministry is following with great concern the military escalation in Yemen following the Israeli attacks that targeted Hodeidah province on Saturday, July 20, 2024,” emphasizing that “these developments aggravate the current tension in the region and undermine ongoing efforts to end the war in Gaza”.
The ministry also called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to distance the region and its people from the dangers of war. It also called on the international community and active influential parties to fulfill their responsibilities to end conflicts in the region.
Moreover, the ministry affirmed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's continued efforts to end the war on Gaza and affirmed its continuous support for peace efforts in Yemen to spare its people more suffering and achieve security and peace in the region.
On Sunday, Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki, the spokesman for the Saudi Ministry of Defense, affirmed that Saudi Arabia has no relation to or participation in the targeting of the Yemeni city of Hodeidah. 
He emphasized in a statement posted on the ministry's X platform account that Saudi Arabia will not allow its airspace to be violated from any direction.