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China helps broker Iran-Saudi diplomatic agreement, calling deal ‘a victory for peace’
- Officials from Tehran and Riyadh sign deal in Beijing to resume ties between the two Mideast countries
- China’s top envoy says Xi Jinping ‘guided the talks from the beginning’ while the US questions the ‘durability’ of the deal
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Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to resume diplomatic relations after four days of intensive previously undisclosed talks in Beijing and seven years after ties were cut.
The agreement, which was reached between China, Iran and Saudi Arabia in the Chinese capital this week, marks a diplomatic victory for the Chinese authorities as the war in Ukraine enters a second year and Beijing’s role in the conflict comes under intense international scrutiny.
Top security officials from Tehran and Riyadh held four days of talks from Monday in Beijing, with Iran, Saudi Arabia and China signing a joint statement in a ceremony on Friday.
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“As a result of the talks, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies … within two months,” Iranian news agency IRNA reported.
In a statement on its website, the Chinese foreign ministry quoted top diplomat Wang Yi as saying the agreement represented “a victory of dialogue and peace”.
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