DUBAI, March 11. /TASS/. The resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran stems from Riyadh’s willingness to choose dialogue for normalizing relations with its neighbors, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said.
"The resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Tehran stems from the kingdom’s vision based on commitment to diplomatic solutions, dialogue and willingness to reinforce those principles in the region," the foreign minister wrote on Twitter.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported on Friday that Iran and Saudi Arabia had agreed to normalize bilateral relations and planned to open embassies within two months. Iranian and Saudi diplomats had held talks in Beijing for several days, after which a trilateral statement was adopted. The statement says that the countries are committed to the principles of sovereignty and non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs and plan to resume cooperation in the areas of trade, economy, culture, science and technology.
Relations between Riyadh and Tehran became strained in March 2015 after a Saudi-led coalition had launched a military operation in Yemen against the Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement. Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iran in January 2016 after its embassy in Tehran and a consulate in Mashhad were attacked by crowds protesting against the execution in Riyadh of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric.