Saudi Arabia invites Iran's President Raisi to visit

 

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has invited the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, for an official visit, as reported by a senior Iranian official.

This comes just a week after the two countries agreed to restore diplomatic relations. Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the King of Saudi Arabia, reportedly sent an invitation letter to the Iranian President.

A senior Iranian official, Mohammad Jamshidi, wrote on Twitter that Raisi accepted the invitation letter to visit Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. He expressed Iran's readiness to expand cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, also said that he would hold a meeting at the foreign minister level with Saudi Arabia. He told reporters that three possible locations had been proposed for the meeting. However, he did not reveal the names of the locations.

Earlier this month, the two countries agreed to re-establish relations. The deal between both nations to resume diplomatic relations was brokered by the People’s Republic of China. This development was cautiously welcomed by several countries and leaders.

Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), welcomed the agreement. Catherine Colonna, the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United States, and Pakistan also welcomed the latest development.

Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in 2016 after demonstrators stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran, the capital of Iran, after Riyadh had executed a prominent Shia Muslim cleric Nimr Baqir al-Nimr over terror-related offences. After the incident, tension was high between the two countries. Subsequently, Bahrain severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016.

Under the deal, brokered by China, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to the restoration of their diplomatic relations, seven years after severing the ties over the incident.