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King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud invited Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to visit Saudi Arabia after the two countries reconciled. Photo/REUTERS/Bandar al-Jaloud/Saudi Royal Court/Handout
TEHERAN – Raja Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud from Saudi Arabia sent a letter of invitation to the President Iran Ebrahim Raisi to visit Riyad.
The invitation was sent after the two countries agreed to reconcile after seven years of severing diplomatic relations.
Raisi said he was happy to accept King Salman’s invitation.
“In a letter to President Raisi…The King of Saudi Arabia welcomes the agreement between the two brother countries (and) invites him to Riyadh,” Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian President for Political Affairs, Mohammad Jamshidi, wrote on Twitter, as quoted by Al Jazeera, Monday (20/3/2023).
“Raisi welcomed the invitation,” Jamshidi continued.
The two countries, which have been at war for a long time, announced a reconciliation deal on March 10. The reconciliation was brokered by China.
Riyadh cut ties after Iranian protesters attacked Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic mission in 2016 following the Saudi authorities’ execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. The execution was just one of a series of flashpoints between the two longtime rivals in the region.
The reconciliation deal would see Shiite-majority Iran and Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia reopen their embassies and missions within two months. In addition, the two will implement the security and economic cooperation agreement signed more than 20 years ago.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told reporters on Sunday that the two countries had agreed to hold a meeting between their top diplomats.
