Saudi ambassador to Tehran hails new chapter in Iran-Saudi ties

Saudi Arabia’s first ambassador to Iran since the resumption of diplomatic relations has hailed the new chapter of ties between Iran and his country, saying the bilateral relations will be “strong” in all areas.

In an exclusive interview with Iran’s official news agency IRNA late on Tuesday, Abdullah bin Saud al-Anzi, expressed his satisfaction with the beginning of a whole new era in relations between Riyadh and Tehran, stressing that the ties would be “strong in all fields,” including in “trade, economic and investment “sectors.

Speaking on the sidelines of a ceremony at the Chinese embassy in Tehran on the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, al-Anzi emphasized that the revived relations between the two countries “will be constructive, strong and based on common interests, mutual respect and good neighborliness.”

Back in March, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed under a Chinese-brokered deal to restore diplomatic relations severed in 2016.

According to a joint statement, Iran and Saudi Arabia underscored the need to respect the national sovereignty and refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of one another.

They agreed to implement a security cooperation agreement signed in April 2001 and another accord reached in May 1998 to boost economic, commercial, investment, technical, scientific, cultural, sports, and youth affairs cooperation.

Iran officially reopened its embassy in Riyadh in June, followed by its consulate in Jeddah and its representative office with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The Saudi embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad have also resumed operations.

Elsewhere in his remarks, al-Anzi praised China’s constructive role in mediating the agreement on the resumption of relations between Tehran and Riyadh.

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