Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers agree to resume flights at meeting in China

Prince Faisal bin Farhan holds first official talks with Hossein Amirabdollahian

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian with Saudi Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing. AFP

Prince Faisal with Mr Qin. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia / Twitter

China's National People's Congress chairman Zhao Leji with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. AFP

Chinese Premier Li Qiang and French President Emmanuel Macron at a meeting at the Great Hall of the People. AFP

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. Getty Images

Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech at the Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing. AFP

Emmanuel Macron arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport. EPA

Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to resume direct flights between their countries at a meeting of foreign ministers Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Hossein Amirabdollahian in Beijing on Thursday.

The move marked a major step after the pair agreed to restore diplomatic ties last month.

They will also enable the issuing of visas for each other's citizens and both private and state bilateral visits will resume, according to the full joint statement released by Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The process of reopening embassies and consulates will now begin and will take up to two months, said the statement after the signing of a joint communique.

Prince Faisal renewed his invitation for Mr Amirabdollahian to visit the kingdom. The Iranian Foreign Minister in return extended an invitation to Prince Faisal to visit Tehran for a bilateral meeting, the statement said.

The kingdom's official state television broadcast a brief video on Twitter of the meeting in Beijing showing the leaders greeting each other with a handshake before sitting down side-by-side.

This is the first official meeting between Iran and Saudi Arabia's most senior foreign ministry officials since ties were severed seven years ago.

The leaders will follow up on a deal brokered by China last month to reconcile relations and reopen embassies.

The meeting highlights China's increasing influence in the region, one that is being monitored by the US.

Saudi state media said the delegations met for "expanded" bilateral talks to discuss “important issues".

In March, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke by phone with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about several issues.

Iran has confirmed it had accepted an invitation for President Ebrahim Raisi to visit Riyadh. It was not announced when this would take place.

After the announcement to restore relations, Tehran and Riyadh said they would also reinstate a security agreement signed nearly two decades ago.

The agreement stipulated co-operation on terrorism, drug smuggling and money laundering, and to revive a trade and technology deal from 1998.

Experts believe the move will reduce the chance of armed conflict between the former rivals, directly and in proxy conflicts around the region.

In 2016, Riyadh severed ties with Tehran after protesters invaded Saudi diplomatic posts in Iran after the execution of a prominent Shiite cleric in the kingdom. It was only one of many issues between the long-standing rivals.

But since April 2021, the two sides have held five rounds of negotiations in Baghdad.

Prince Faisal met Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, and they reviewed relations between Saudi Arabia and China, and ways to enhance co-operation in all areas.

They also discussed developments regarding the agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, in a way that achieves common interests and enhances efforts to lay the foundations for peace in the region and the world.

Prince Faisal expressed his appreciation of the positive role that China played in reaching the Saudi-Iranian agreement.