Iran hopes to reopen its diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia by May 9, according to senior foreign ministry officials. The reopening of diplomatic missions is based on a March agreement for restoring ties between Riyadh and Tehran sponsored by Beijing.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani announced during his weekly press conference that “the Beijing Agreement between the two foreign ministries is progressing well and at an acceptable pace.”
The spokesman also expressed hope that Iran and Saudi Arabia would reopen their respective diplomatic missions by May 9, as scheduled in the China-brokered agreement.
“According to the agreement, it was scheduled that the two sides would reopen their embassies and consulates within two months from the first meeting, by May 9,” said Kanaani, according to state news agency IRNA.
“Political relations between the two countries have been established directly, and we can say that they have been activated,” added Kanaani.
“We do not have any unclear issues or obstacles in this direction, especially since the Hajj season is ahead of us,” he also stated.
Alireza Enayati, director for Persian Gulf affairs at the Iranian Foreign Ministry, confirmed to IRNA that Tehran and Riyadh are set to reopen embassies.
Enayati said a Saudi technical delegation visited Iran last week and inspected their country's embassy in Tehran before heading to Mashhad to inspect the Saudi consulate there. Their visit came after two delegations from Iran visited Saudi Arabia.
The Iranian diplomat said that another Saudi delegation is scheduled to visit Tehran in the coming days to take the process of reopening diplomatic missions forward.
The Iranian delegation that visited Riyadh recently, he said, met with the Saudi deputy foreign minister, describing their meeting as "good and constructive."
Enayati said the two countries are looking to open the embassies and consulates before the Hajj pilgrimage starts to help facilitate the affairs of Iranian pilgrims.
He also informed about another meeting between Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan in the coming days, saying the meeting is on the agenda before the diplomatic missions are reopened.
