Saudi and Iranian Foreign Ministers Meet in China After Thaw

The high-level talks were a sign that the regional rivals were moving ahead with an agreement to re-establish relations, mediated last month by Beijing.

Saudi and Iranian Foreign Ministers Meet in China After Thaw

New York Times-April6th2023

By Vivian Nereim

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran held talks in Beijing on Thursday, in the highest-level meeting between the regional rivals since they cut ties seven years ago and a sign that China would continue to host talks that could shift the geopolitics of the Middle East.

In a joint statement, the two governments said that given their natural resources and economic potential, they saw “great opportunities to achieve shared benefits for their two peoples.” They said the ministers discussed issues including the resumption of flights and the reopening of diplomatic missions.

The meeting came after a surprise rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, mediated by China, was announced last month. The statement signaled that the agreement was moving forward as Saudi Arabia, a longtime American ally, forges more independent foreign and economic policies.

The kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been keen to expand alliances with other partners, especially as relations have become strained with the Biden administration on issues including human rights. An increasingly assertive Beijing, which presented itself as a counterweight to the United States in global diplomacy, has expanded its role in the Middle East by facilitating the agreement and hosting the talks this week.

Prince Mohammed has also resisted American calls on oil policy. On Sunday, the kingdom and other members of OPEC Plus, which includes Russia, announced a surprise decision to cut oil production by more than a million barrels per day, counter to hopes from the White House that they would maintain production at similar levels.

“Washington has been struggling to adapt to the new Saudi Arabia,” said Ayham Kamel, head of Middle East and North Africa at Eurasia Group. “This creates a whole new set of challenges as U.S. allies have begun to create their distinct Iran policy that might not align with Washington’s own approach.”

On Thursday, the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said they would move forward with steps to reopen their embassies in Tehran and Riyadh, which have been closed since 2016, according to the statement. They also agreed that technical teams from both countries would discuss further steps, including the resumption of flights, visits by official delegations and the granting of visas to each other’s citizens.