TEHRAN (Realist English). Iran and Saudi Arabia are ready to take reconciliation talks to a higher level. This was announced by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian.
Since April last year, five rounds of Iranian-Saudi negotiations have taken place in Iraq. “Progress has been made in these negotiations,” Abdollahian said.
Last week, Tehran received a message from Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, which stated that “the Saudi side is ready to move the talks to the political and public level.”
“We announced our readiness for the talks to enter the political stage,” the Iranian minister explained, adding that the previous rounds were held mainly at the level of security forces.
Abdollahiyan hopes that negotiations with Riyadh will lead to the establishment of “normal diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Previously, officials in Tehran noted that negotiations at the political level can give faster and better results.
After the April round of talks, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced that “reconciliation between Riyadh and Tehran is close.”
In 2016, Riyadh severed relations with Tehran. The reason was the tension provoked by the execution of the Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. After the rupture of relations, the UAE and Kuwait lowered the status of diplomatic relations with Tehran, having recalled their ambassadors.
Now, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait are planning to return diplomats to the Iranian capital. Tehran has already approved the candidacies of the ambassadors of the UAE and Kuwait, who are due to arrive in the coming days.
