Tehran Resolved to Take Steps to Ensure Regional Interests

Iran has demonstrated its resolve to ensure the common interests of regional nations through effective steps, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said, following a recent deal to restore ties with Saudi Arabia. 
In a statement on Saturday, the ministry hailed the China-brokered normalization agreement as one the government’s steps toward practical implementation of the doctrine of “balanced foreign policy, dynamic diplomacy and smart interaction,” as well as realization of the policy of neighborliness. 
“To complete previous effective measures, the Islamic Republic of Iran took another important step and struck the Beijing agreement after intensive and pragmatic negotiations to return its relations with Saudi Arabia to its natural course,” the statement read. 
Through this move, the administration of President Ebrahim Raisi showed its serious will and practical agenda to ensure the interests of its nation and those of other Muslim, friendly and neighboring countries of the region, according to the text. 
The deal also indicated that the Iranian government is determined to use regional capacities to secure and consolidate pervading peace and stability and ensure shared and collective interests of the nations and governments of the region, it added. 
The Foreign Ministry expressed confidence about the role and positive effects of this agreement in guaranteeing the common interests of Iranian and Saudi nations, as well as other regional peoples. 
“[The ministry] feels obliged to thank the People’s Republic of China for its initiative and hosting to secure this agreement, and the friendly neighboring countries of Iraq and Oman for their influential role in this regard,” the statement said. 

Affirmation of Respect 

Iran and Saudi Arabia on Friday agreed to restore their diplomatic ties after seven years of hostility. 
The two countries had severed diplomatic ties in 2016 after a group of Iranians stormed the Saudi embassy following the kingdom’s execution of a prominent Shia cleric. 
They have also been at odds over a host of regional issues, including the war in Yemen where they supported opposing sides. 
Both sides had been showing signs of interest in reconciliation for some time, marked by five rounds of negotiations in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, as well as mediatory efforts by the Sultanate of Oman. 
The recent deal was reached as a result of several days of intensive negotiations brokered by China in Beijing, at the end of which a joint statement was signed by the three states. 
Based on the statement, Tehran and Riyadh agreed to reopen their embassies and missions within a period not exceeding two months. 
“The agreement includes their affirmation of the respect for the sovereignty of states and the non-interference in internal affairs,” it added. 
China described it as a “victory for dialogue and peace,” offering major good news at a time of much turbulence in the world.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the deal, stressing that good neighborly relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia are essential for the stability of the Persian Gulf region. 
The agreement was also welcomed by the European Union and the United States, other fellow Persian Gulf states including Oman, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, as well as Egypt and Turkey.