Pak Sahafat – The British Financial Times newspaper wrote following the meeting of the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia in Beijing; The development shows that China is determined to expand its diplomatic role in a region that has traditionally been part of the US sphere of influence.
According to Pak Sahafat News Agency’s report, it is stated in this article that the agreement reached between Iran and Saudi Arabia “happened a few months after the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Saudi Arabia to participate in the meeting of the heads of Arab countries. In contrast to Saudi Arabia’s lackluster reception of US President Joe Biden’s visit to the country, Xi received a unique welcome in Riyadh.
Meanwhile, according to this report, Biden told the Arab leaders that Washington will not leave the region and will not allow China, Iran and Russia to take America’s place in the region.
The Financial Times added: Although the United States welcomes the reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, it is concerned about the development of technological and security relations between Beijing and the Persian Gulf; in 2021, the United States pressured the United Arab Emirates to stop installing equipment that Washington says is made in China.
This English publication further writes that the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia “has created hopes to help end the war in Yemen; The war started by the coalition led by Saudi Arabia in 2015 after the capture of most of the country by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. According to this report, the two sides have made progress towards a peace agreement in recent months, and a ceasefire has been established since last year.
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Financial Times wrote: Iran has also reduced tensions with the UAE and agreed to the deployment of the country’s ambassador in Tehran last year.
The Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed in March last month to resume bilateral relations and re-open the embassies of the two countries. For this purpose, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir abdollahian arrived in Beijing last night at the head of a delegation, and today, after meeting with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, they signed a joint statement.
Emphasizing the importance and necessity of developing relations in economic and commercial fields as well as investment, the Minister of Foreign Affairs announced the readiness of the Islamic Republic of Iran to hold a joint economic commission between the two countries.
The Saudi Foreign Minister also said in this meeting that Riyadh-Tehran relations created a new positive atmosphere in the entire region and Saudi Arabia is ready to strengthen the said positive atmosphere in regional relations with the help and cooperation of Iran.
Bin Farhan expressed his satisfaction with the holding of this meeting and the activation of official relations between the two countries in the holy month of Ramadan, and described it as a source of good and blessings for the two countries and the countries of the region.
He said: The new relations between the two countries created a new positive atmosphere in the entire region and Saudi Arabia is ready to strengthen the said positive atmosphere in regional relations with the help and cooperation of Iran.