Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan made it clear that the agreement to resume diplomatic relations with Iran does not mean “resolving all outstanding differences between the two countries,” Anadolu Agency reported.
Saudi foreign minister said in remarks to Arabic daily Asharq Al-Awsat on Monday that the agreement came “under the auspices and mediation of China, after several rounds of talks over the past two years in both Iraq and the Sultanate of Oman.”
However, he adds, “Our reaching this agreement, which will lead to the resumption of political relations, does not mean that we have reached a solution to all outstanding differences between our two countries, but rather it is evidence of our common desire to resolve them through dialogue.”
Regarding his upcoming visit to Tehran, the minister said, “I look forward to meeting Iran’s foreign minister soon based on what was agreed upon, and we will prepare to resume diplomatic relations between our two countries during the next two months.”
On Friday, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and the reopening of embassies within two months, following Chinese-sponsored talks in Beijing according to a tripartite statement of the three countries.
In January 2016, Saudi Arabia severed its relations with Iran, following attacks on the Riyadh embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad, in protest against the kingdom’s execution of Saudi Shiite cleric Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, on charges including terrorism.
