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Xi Jinping says China to support Saudi Arabia-Iran dialogue — TV

On March 10, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic relations and to reopen their respective embassies within two months

BEIJING, March 28. /TASS/. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday during a telephone conversation with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud said that Beijing would support the ensuing dialogue between Riyadh and Tehran, the China Central Television reported.

"The Chinese side intends to continue supporting the ensuing dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Iran," the TV channel quoted the president as saying.

Xi Jinping pointed out that the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran played an important role in the strengthening of unity and cooperation in the region. According to the Chinese leader, settling the differences through dialogue was in the interests of all countries and the expectations of the international community. "We hope that Saudi Arabia and Iran will adhere to the spirit of good neighborliness and continue to improve their relations on the basis of the results of the Beijing dialogue," Xi Jinping said.

On March 10, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic relations and to reopen their respective embassies within two months. The countries’ delegations held several days of bilateral talks in Beijing, which culminated with the adoption of a trilateral statement.

Tensions between Riyadh and Tehran escalated in March 2015 with the start of a military operation by a Saudi Arabia-led coalition against the Ansar Allah (Houthi) rebels in Yemen. In January 2016, after the Saudi embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad were attacked by angry crowds following the execution of Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr in Riyadh, the kingdom severed diplomatic relations with Iran.

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