UN welcomes reopening of Iranian Embassy in Riyadh
The United Nations has welcomed the reopening of the Iranian Embassy in Saudi Arabia with the UN Secretary-General spokesman describing the move as a positive action in the region.
Iran officially reopened its embassy in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Tuesday, months after the two countries agreed to restore their diplomatic relations under a China-brokered deal.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said on Tuesday the two key countries in the Persian Gulf region have entered into an open and constructive dialogue that would help the region.
Addressing a flag-raising ceremony on Tuesday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Alireza Bigdeli said, “We consider today an important day in the relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
“Cooperation between the countries is entering a new era,” he added.
The reopening of the embassy will facilitate travel between Iran and Saudi Arabia, as they have been trying to reinstate direct flights, boost trade, and rebuild business connections.
Meanwhile, Iran’s new ambassador to Saudi Arabia has suggested that the countries of the region adopt a fresh perspective on the issue of regional security, one which is based on development rather than militarization.
Alireza Enayati made the remarks to Iran’s Arabic-language al-Alam television news network on Tuesday.
“Today, we are after more cooperation with each other and prioritize regional security based on [the concept of] development,” the envoy said.
Nuclear cooperation
Also, in a post on Twitter on Tuesday, Iran’s Nour News raised the possibility of cooperation in the nuclear industry between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
“Despite Zionists’ opposition to Saudi Arabia’s nuclear advancement, cooperation in the field of peaceful nuclear technologies and transfer of experiences under the supervision of IAEA can be one of the main axes in the bilateral relations between Tehran and Riyadh,” Nour News, affiliated with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said in a post on its Twitter account on Tuesday.