Official: Iran, Saudi Arabia to reactivate joint economic cooperation committees ‘soon’ 

Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will reactivate the economic cooperation agreements signed between them “as soon as possible”, an Iranian official said Monday. 

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanaani, told reporters that the visit of the Iranian Foreign Minister, Hussein Amir Abdollahian, to Saudi Arabia last week came at the invitation of his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, adding that during the visit, the two sides discussed trade issues, the reactivation of bilateral agreements as well as customs issues and tax evasion. 

“During the visit, it was decided to activate the meetings of the joint committee for economic cooperation between the two sides as soon as possible and we hope to witness the result of this work with the movements of both sides,” he added, according to the Iranian Tasnim Agency. 

Kanaani said Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed the invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz to President Ibrahim Raisi to visit Riyadh, and there is a consensus that the necessary preparations for this visit will take place at the appropriate time. 

OPINION: A meeting of Saudi Arabian and Iranian minds in Amman

The Iranian official said the Iranian ambassador will be dispatched to Riyadh in the coming days. 

Last Friday, the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, received in the city of Jeddah the Iranian Foreign Minister, Hussein Amir Abdollahian, who visited the Kingdom. 

On Thursday, Abdollahian met with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, and discussed bilateral relations and regional developments, and visited the Iranian embassy in the Kingdom and was briefed on efforts to re-open it. 

In March, Riyadh and Tehran resumed diplomatic relations, with mediation from China, after years of estrangement.