TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian has spoken over the phone with the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates and Algeria.

The conversations came on the heels of a historic visit by UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed to Syria after a decade of diplomatic isolation.

During their conversation on Thursday evening, the Iranian and Emirati foreign ministers discussed the pursuit of a growing trend in bilateral relations as well as regional and international developments, according to the Iranian foreign ministry.

The Iranian foreign minister described relations between Iran and the UAE as traditional and positive, saying: Tehran-UAE ties are of special importance for both countries and we are confident that a good trend in improving relations will lead to the full development of bilateral ties.

Amir Abdollahian said resolving some executive problems between the two countries will facilitate and help develop trade ties, and expressed hope that with the cooperation between the two governments, the problems that currently exist in the financial exchanges will be overcome based on mutual relations and international law.

Referring to the forthcoming talks in Vienna intended to lift sanction against Iran, the top Iranian diplomat said, “We are ready to reach a good agreement and believe that the other parties must return to their commitments.”

The UAE foreign minister also asked Amir Abdollahian about his health and wished his Iranian counterpart excellent health and full recovery.
Iranian FM praises Algeria's negative vote for the Zionist regime's membership in the African Union. Referring to the problems in trade exchanges between the two countries, the UAE foreign minister said that the existing problems are being studied by experts from the two countries and efforts are being made to resolve them.

Referring to environmental crises, the UAE's top diplomat called for global and regional cooperation to solve environmental problems, adding that the UAE is ready to cooperate with regional countries in this regard.

Amir Abdollahian called the UAE foreign minister's visit to the region, including Damascus, a positive step.

The Emirati foreign minister invited his Iranian counterpart to visit the UAE. Amir Abdollahian, for his part, invited the top Emirati diplomat to visit the Islamic Republic.

The foreign ministers of Iran and the UAE referred to the fact that the new Iranian administration prioritizes relations with neighbors, saying that increasing dialogue and cooperation among regional countries is important and stressed the need to strengthen this process.

The Emirati foreign ministry issued a brief statement on the two ministers’ conversation. “During the conversation, they discussed bilateral relations and cooperation and ways to enhance them in the best interest of the two countries. Sheikh Abdullah said that the UAE looks forward to working jointly with Iran in the field of environmental protection and facing the challenges of climate change,” the statement said. 

The Iranian foreign minister also spoke with his Algerian counterpart Ramtane Lamamra whose country is expected to play a host to an Arab League summit that would possibly discuss Syria’s return to the pan-Arab organization. The Iranian foreign ministry said Amir Abdollahian and Lamamra focused on the trend of bilateral ties and issues of mutual interest regionally and internationally.

Referring to the good political relations between Iran and Algeria, the Iranian foreign minister expressed hope that the bilateral ties would further develop in all fields.

Amir Abdollahian described the recent meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of the two countries as a fruitful step and said holding this meeting will create a good opportunity to improve the level of trade relations between the two countries.

He also spoke of Algeria's negative vote for the Zionist regime's membership in the African Union. The Iranian foreign minister praised Algeria's move and said the country has acted wisely and logically. Amir Abdollahian also said the move and also Algeria's rational stance on Syria's return to the Arab League are valuable.

He expressed hope that the upcoming meeting of the Arab League will have important benefits for the Islamic ummah.

The Algerian foreign minister also wished Amir Abdollahian health and full recovery from the Covid-19 and expressed hope that the world will soon hear good news regarding the end of the pandemic and also about the successful end of sanctions on Iran.

Lamamra referred to the meeting of the Iran-Algeria Chamber of Commerce. He said holding the meeting is positive for developing trade relations and boosting exchanges between the two countries.

The Algerian foreign minister, while formally inviting Amir Abdollahian to visit his country, stressed the importance of forming a political committee and a relations monitoring committee.

The two top diplomats described the process of political and parliamentary relations between Tehran and Algiers as positive and constructive. They also pointed to the recent developments in Libya, emphasizing that the problems there can be solved with the involvement of Libyan groups and without foreign interference.

The Iranian foreign minister’s talks with the two Arab foreign ministers came in light of a recent thaw in Syria’s relations with one-time hostile Arab states such as the UAE. 

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh has welcomed the strengthening of ties between the Arab states. “It is natural for the United States to be concerned about strengthening friendly and regional relations with Arab countries and Syria, as this measure will lead to the failure of Washington’s sinister goals and the Zionist schemes which aims to sow sedition and to isolate the Arab countries,” Khatibzadeh said in a statement to Russian Sputnik Agency, according to Syrian state news agency SANA.