News

Saudi, Iranian foreign ministers plan to meet during Ramadan

March 27, 2023 04:19 PM


Twitter Share Facebook Share WhatsApp Share

The Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers have vowed to meet before the end of the holy month of Ramadan to implement a landmark reconciliation deal, the two countries said Monday.

Saudi Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, held their second phone call in less than a week and discussed "a number of common issues... in light of" the surprise agreement brokered by China announced on March 10, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

"The two ministers also agreed to hold a bilateral meeting between them during the current month of Ramadan", which ends in the third week of April, SPA said.

Iran's foreign ministry said the two men "discussed the latest status of the agreement between the two countries" and "talked about a joint meeting in the holy month of Ramadan".

"They also discussed the constructive path of relations between the two countries," the Iranian statement said.

Neither statement specified the exact date or location of the highly anticipated meeting, which Saudi officials have said is the next step in restoring ties seven years after they were severed.

Riyadh cut relations after Iranian protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in 2016 following the Saudi execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr -- just one in a series of flashpoints between the two longstanding regional rivals.

The deal is expected to see Shiite-majority Iran and mainly Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia reopen their embassies and missions within two months and implement security and economic cooperation deals signed more than 20 years ago.

An Iranian official said on March 19 that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi had favourably received an invitation to visit Saudi Arabia from King Salman, though Riyadh has yet to confirm.

Amir-Abdollahian told reporters the same day that the two countries had agreed to hold a meeting between their top diplomats and that three locations had been suggested, without specifying which.

The detente between Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest crude oil exporter, and Iran, strongly at odds with Western governments over its nuclear activities, has the potential to reshape relations across a region characterised by turbulence for decades.



Most Read

  1. Maryam Nawaz can wear uniform! Maryam Nawaz can wear uniform!
  2. Here is all about Madiha Rizvi’s second husband Here is all about Madiha Rizvi’s second husband
  3. Madiha Rizvi ties the knot again Madiha Rizvi ties the knot again
  4. Zara Noor Abbas inspired by Rani Mukerji Zara Noor Abbas inspired by Rani Mukerji
  5. Humayun Saeed and Saboor Aly under fire for close interaction in public Humayun Saeed and Saboor Aly under fire for close interaction in public
  6. Two patients die, injuries of 12 others multiplied after roof collapse at Gujrat hospital Two patients die, injuries of 12 others multiplied after roof collapse at Gujrat hospital

Opinion

  1. Legacy of Indian military subjugation in Kashmir
    Legacy of Indian military subjugation in Kashmir

    By Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai

  2. Islamabad becoming the hub of international diplomacy
    Islamabad becoming the hub of international diplomacy

    By Salim Bokhari

  3. Insights into the Pakistan Stock Exchange's Recent Record High Triumph
    Insights into the Pakistan Stock Exchange's Recent Record High Triumph

    By Zulfiqar Ali Mir

  4. IMEC to sabotage CPEC
    IMEC to sabotage CPEC

    By Dr Asif Channer

  5. 1947 TO FORM 47
    1947 TO FORM 47

    By Dr Asif Channer

  6. Beijing wants to further highlight industrial sector in its country and take scientific innovation to new heights....
    Beijing wants to further highlight industrial sector in its country and take scientific innovation to new heights....

    By Ali Ramay