An official request. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday (March 19th) welcomed an invitation he received from the King of Saudi Arabia to visit Riyadh to seal the rapprochement between the two countries, an Iranian presidential official said.
"In a letter to President Raissi, King Salman of Saudi Arabia welcomed the agreement reached between the two brotherly countries, invited him to Riyadh and called for strong economic and regional cooperation."
"Ebrahim Raissi welcomed this invitation," his deputy chief of staff, Mohammad Jamshidi, said on Twitter.
Commitment of each to respect the sovereignty of the other
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said the two countries had agreed on an upcoming meeting of their top diplomat. He said that "three places" had been suggested "to hold this meeting", without specifying which ones.
This announcement follows the March 10 announcement by Tehran and Riyadh of their decision to restore diplomatic relations within two months following talks in China.
Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran severed ties in 2016 after protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in the Islamic Republic following Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.
The agreement between the two rival powers in the Middle East provides for the mutual reopening of embassies, as well as a commitment by each to respect the sovereignty of the other and not to interfere in its "internal affairs".
In support of Riyadh, other Gulf countries including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain had reduced their diplomatic ties with Tehran.
In recent months, the UAE and Kuwait have resumed diplomatic relations with Iran.
With AFP
The summary of the week France 24 invites you to look back on the news that marked the week
I subscribe
Take international news with you everywhere! Download the France 24 app