Iran’s prime safety official on Thursday held high-level talks within the United Arab Emirates, days after a shock rapprochement between Tehran and Riyadh.
Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme Nationwide Safety Council, met with Emirati president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan within the capital Abu Dhabi to debate “alternatives for enhancing cooperation,” in line with the official WAM information company.
He additionally held talks with the UAE’s nationwide safety adviser, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and mentioned “bilateral relations,” WAM mentioned.
“Iran and the UAE can take nice steps on the trail of increasing bilateral cooperation and strengthening neighbouring diplomacy,” Shamkhani mentioned throughout his assembly with the UAE president, in line with Iran’s state information company IRNA.
“The formation of a stronger area is an attainable preferrred that all of us should take steps in the direction of.”
His journey got here after Iran and Saudi Arabia introduced a Chinese language-brokered deal on Friday to finish a seven-year rupture in diplomatic ties.
Shamkhani had travelled to Beijing for intensive negotiations together with his Saudi counterpart forward of the shock announcement.
Throughout talks together with his Emirati counterpart on Thursday, Shamkhani referred to as his UAE go to “a significant starting for the 2 nations to enter a brand new stage of political, financial and safety relations,” in line with IRNA.
“We must always attempt to improve the safety, peace and well-being of the individuals of the area by means of dialogue and interplay… whereas stopping foreigners from taking part in a non-constructive position,” Shamkhani mentioned.
Shiite-majority Iran and the majority-Sunni Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, together with its allies within the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, again reverse sides in varied armed and political conflicts within the area, most notably in Yemen and Syria.
In 2016, the UAE and different Gulf states scaled again their ties with Tehran after Iranian protesters attacked Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic missions in Iran following Riyadh’s execution of distinguished Shiite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr.
Regardless of the diplomatic downgrade, the oil-rich UAE maintained sturdy financial ties with Iran.
Final 12 months, the UAE’s ambassador to Tehran resumed his duties after a six 12 months absence, whereas in September, Iran’s prime diplomat Hossein Amir-Abdollahian mentioned Tehran needed to broaden relations with the UAE.
Gregory Brew, Iran analyst at Eurasia Group, mentioned Shamkhani’s UAE go to is “important in that it signifies continued efforts by the Gulf nations to enhance relations with Iran”.
“The UAE is a significant buying and selling accomplice to Iran, and has additionally turn into an vital middleman for Iran’s oil exports,” he instructed AFP, including that Shamkhani could also be discussing methods to entry Iranian belongings frozen abroad by means of UAE mediation or diplomatic assist.
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