TEHRAN - Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the National Security Advisor of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), plans to travel to Iran on Monday, IRNA reported.

The trip is taking place upon an official invitation by Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).

Sheikh Tahnoun is scheduled to hold talks with his Iranian counterpart Shamkhani as well as some other high-ranking officials.

Enhancing mutual ties and sharing views on the latest developments in the region are among the main objectives of the top UAE security official’s visit to Tehran.

Some regional and international media outlets recently announced that Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, had briefed reporters that a UAE delegation will soon visit Iran and that their friends are already aware of the trip.

Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for political affairs and top nuclear negotiator, met with senior Emirati officials on November 24 during a visit to the UAE. The visit took place as Tehran and Abu Dhabi are moving to reduce tensions with each other.

While in the country, Bagheri Kani met with Gargash and Emirati minister of state for foreign affairs Khalifa Shaheen Almarar.

The discussions stressed the importance of strengthening relations "on the basis of good neighborliness and mutual respect," working for greater regional stability and prosperity and developing bilateral economic and commercial ties, the WAM news agency reported.

Bagheri Kani said in a tweet that Iran and the UAE had agreed to open a new chapter in bilateral relations.  

The visit happened ahead of the nuclear talks in Vienna between Iran and its dialogue partners which are intended to lift sanctions on Iran based on the 2015 nuclear pact.

Gargash earlier this month said that the UAE was taking steps to de-escalate tensions with Iran, according to Reuters.

Saudi Arabia and Iran also launched direct talks in April. Riyadh has described the talks as "cordial" but said they remained largely exploratory.