Iran reopened its embassy in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh on Tuesday, months after the two countries agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations under a deal negotiated by China.
“We consider today an important day in the relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Alireza Bigdeli said at a flag-raising ceremony.
“The cooperation between the countries is entering a new era,” he added.
The embassy’s reopening will ease travel between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which have been working to reintroduce direct flights, boost trade, and rebuild commercial ties.
While Saudi Arabia has yet to reopen its embassy in Tehran, the restoration of diplomatic relations will allow Iranian pilgrims to apply for Saudi visas for the next Hajj pilgrimage with greater ease.
Nasser Kanani, a spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said on Monday that Iranian diplomats had already begun assisting Iranian pilgrims for Hajj. He also stated that Iran’s consulate in the Saudi port city of Jeddah will reopen this week.
On March 10, seven years after official relations were cut, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic ties and reopen embassies after several days of strenuous negotiations hosted by China.
Following the signing of the deal, Tehran and Riyadh issued a joint statement emphasizing the need of respecting each other’s national sovereignty and refraining from intervening in one another’s internal affairs.
They agreed to put into effect a security cooperation agreement made in April 2001, as well as another agreement inked in May 1998 to increase economic, commercial, investment, technological, scientific, cultural, sports, and youth affairs collaboration.
Last month, Iran appointed Alireza Enayati as the Iranian envoy to Riyadh. Enayati had previously served as Iran’s ambassador to Kuwait, assistant to the foreign minister and director-general of Persian Gulf affairs at the Foreign Ministry.
On May 11, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian announced that Saudi Arabia had appointed a new ambassador to Tehran, in line with the China-brokered March agreement between the two countries to revive relations.
