The Beijing meeting preceded three telephone conversations
between the two ministers in recent weeks after signing the agreement, brokered
by China, on March 10.
During the phone talks, the ministers discussed a number of
key issues related to the resumption of bilateral diplomatic ties, such as the
next steps to be taken with regard to implementation of the agreement;
procedures for reopening diplomatic missions; and activating the previous
agreements signed between the two countries before severing the relations.
The main purpose of the meeting is to activate the content
of the landmark agreement to resume bilateral diplomatic relations, and to
arrange the exchange of ambassadors after a hiatus of seven years.
According to the report, the choice of Beijing as the venue
for the meeting between the Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers comes as an
extension of Beijing’s positive role in reaching the agreement and facilitating
communication between the two countries.
Saudi Arabia and Iran, along with China, announced in a
joint statement on March 10 that the agreement will be implemented within 60
days. The tripartite statement emphasized the respect for the sovereignty of
states and non-interference in their internal affairs.
It also affirmed the activation of all joint agreements
between Saudi Arabia and Iran, including the security cooperation agreement,
and the cooperation agreement in the fields of economy, trade, investment,
technology, science, culture, sports and youth.
The signing of the historic agreement to restore diplomatic
ties took place after several rounds of negotiations between Saudi Arabia and
Iran in Baghdad and Muscat, and these were followed by the last round of
negotiations held in Beijing from March 6 to 10.
In the talks, the Saudi delegation was headed by Minister of
State, Member of the Cabinet and National Security Adviser Dr. Musaed Al-Aiban
while the Iranian delegation was headed by Secretary General of the Supreme
National Security Council Admiral Ali Shamkhani.
This historic initiative came after seven years of severing
relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, following the attack on the Saudi
embassy in Tehran and the Saudi consulate Mashhad, in January 2016, and
ransacking and burning of its properties. These incidents prompted the Saudi
Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ask Iranian diplomats to quit the Kingdom within
48 hours while calling back its diplomats from Iran.
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