[ad_1]
TEHRAN: Iran’s top diplomat said on Wednesday his country wanted to strengthen ties with the United Arab Emirates, welcoming the return of the UAE ambassador to Tehran after a six-year absence.
The UAE and other Gulf states scaled back ties with Iran in 2016 after Iranian protesters attacked Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic mission in Iran following the execution of prominent Shiite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr in Riyadh.
According to an official statement released earlier on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdallahian said during a meeting with the UAE’s new ambassador, Saif Mohammed al-Zabi, on Tuesday: “We want to expand our partnership to include Arab Relations with neighbouring countries, including the United Arab Emirates.”.
Despite the diplomatic downgrade, the oil-rich UAE maintains strong economic ties with the Islamic Republic.
In 2020, the UAE established diplomatic relations with Israel, which Tehran condemned.
But Abu Dhabi has pursued a policy of conciliation with former regional rivals such as Qatar, Turkey and Iran.
According to the ministry’s statement, Amir Abdullahian “has also stressed the need for countries in the region to cooperate for the sake of regional stability.”
The UAE said in July that it was considering sending an ambassador back to Tehran to “boost bilateral relations,” state media reported at the time.
Iran said last month that Kuwait had sent its first ambassador to Tehran since 2016.
Two Middle Eastern powers, Iran and Saudi Arabia, have both expressed their willingness to resolve the dispute and have held bilateral talks, which were first made public in April 2021.
Notes
[ad_2]
Source link