Qatar welcomes Iran-Saudi deal to resume diplomatic ties

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani Friday held telephone calls with Saudi Arabia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah al-Saud and Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said Qatar welcomed the trilateral statement by Saudi Arabia, Iran, and China, on resuming diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and re-opening their embassies within two months.HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs also expressed Qatar's aspiration that this step will contribute to enhancing security and stability in the region, and meeting the aspirations of the peoples of the two countries, for the benefit of all the peoples of the region.Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs congratulated HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani on his appointment as Prime Minister.Iran and Saudi Arabia Friday agreed to re-establish relations after years of hostility.The deal was announced after four days of previously undisclosed talks in Beijing between top security officials from the two Middle East powers.Tehran and Riyadh agreed to resume diplomatic relations and re-open embassies within two months, according to a statement issued by Iran, Saudi Arabia and China."The agreement includes their affirmation of the respect for the sovereignty of states and the non-interference in internal affairs," it said.Friday's agreement, signed by Iran's top security official, Ali Shamkhani, and Saudi Arabia's national security adviser Musaed bin Mohammed al-Aiban, agreed to re-activate a 2001 security co-operation accord, as well as another earlier pact on trade, economy and investment.China's top diplomat Wang Yi described the deal as a victory for dialogue and peace, adding that Beijing would continue to play a constructive role in addressing tough global issues.A White House national security spokesperson said Saudi Arabia, which is looking to expand its partnership with China, had kept the US informed about the talks in Beijing but that Washington had not been directly involved.Analysts say both sides stand to benefit from de-escalation.Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah al-Saud, in remarks carried by state television, said Riyadh "favoured political solutions and dialogue" and was keen to entrench that in the region.Iranian Foreign Minister Dr Hossein Amir-Abdollahian hinted at further steps to come."The neighbourhood policy, as the key axis of the Iranian government’s foreign policy, is strongly moving in the right direction and the diplomatic apparatus is actively behind the preparation of more regional steps," Amirabdollahian tweeted.A senior Iranian official said that addressing the tensions with Saudi Arabia had become a top priority for Tehran in recent months and would help resolve long-running talks on Iran's nuclear programme."It will encourage the West to reach a nuclear agreement with Iran," the official said.Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on Twitter that the resumption of Saudi-Iranian diplomatic ties was a "win-win for everyone and will benefit regional and global security".Oman and Iraq hosted talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia in 2021 and 2022.