TEHRAN – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has welcomed the Chinese mediation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, saying that the Arab world in its entirety is pleased with the thaw in Tehran-Riadh relations. 

President Abbas made the remarks in an interview with the Chinese CTGN channel during his four-day visit to Beijing. 

“The problem of Iran and Saudi Arabia has a long history and no country has successfully solved the problems between these two countries. But because China has good intentions, it was able to do this miracle,” Abbas said, according to IRNA. 

He added, “I think that reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia is a miracle, and all Arab countries welcome it, and the whole Arab world and all the people of Arab countries are happy with China's mediation efforts. Except for China, no country had succeeded in establishing reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia.”

Iran and Saudi Arabia signed a Chinese-brokered deal on March 10 to restore their diplomatic ties. The foreign ministers of the two countries met in Beijing, Cape Town, and most recently in Tehran in line with this agreement.

On Saturday, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Saudi foreign minister, arrived in Tehran and met with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian and President Ebrahim Raisi. 

 “We are currently trying to continue diplomatic measures and we have seen that the embassy, consulate, and representative office of Iran in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation have been reopened and the Saudi embassy in Iran will be reopened soon,” the Saudi foreign minister said at a joint presser with Amir Abdollahian. 

He added, “Returning the relations between the two sides to a normal state is important because both sides are considered important players in the region and these relations are based on the main basis, including mutual respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, and adherence to the UN Charter.”

In the meeting with President Raisi, Faisal bin Farhan said Saudi Arabia is willing to upgrade relations with Iran to a “strategic” level. 

He said the Saudi king has ordered the formation of various working groups to boost relations with Iran. 

“Economic, development and cultural cooperation is on the agenda of Tehran and Riyadh,” the Saudi chief diplomat remarked.

“We are in a golden stage that we should appreciate, and cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran provides the opportunity to benefit from these conditions for the two sides and the region,” he noted.