TEHRAN – The foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Japan, and Iraq as well as Secretary General of the OIC Hussein Ibrahim Taha have received phone calls from Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Amir Abdollahian held talks late on Wednesday with his Emirati counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the phone over bilateral and regional issues.

Amir Abdollahian described ties between the two countries as positive and progressing, saying good meetings and consultations have happened between the officials of the two countries, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said. 

Referring to the Yemen crisis, the Iranian foreign minister said, “We believe that the continuation of the war and the escalation of hostilities do not serve the interests of either side or the region.”

Amir Abdollahian also said the presence of the Zionist regime in the region poses a threat to all countries and the region.

The Iranian foreign minister called for efforts to prevent the crisis-creating elements from gaining a foothold in the region.

The UAE foreign minister said Abu Dhabi is serious about expanding ties with Tehran and believes that the continuation of talks between the two countries over different issues is necessary.

On Yemen’s political crisis, the top Emirati diplomat said, “We are trying to encourage all Yemeni sides to find a political solution with the support of the United Nations.”

Iran FM wishes Iraqi counterpart excellent health 

In a telephone conversation on Thursday, Amir Abdollahian spoke with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Mohammed Hussein about the latest developments in relations between the two countries, as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest, and joint efforts.

At the beginning of the conversation, the top Iranian diplomat greeted his Iraqi counterpart and expressed satisfaction with his recovery from the coronavirus disease, and wished him excellent health.

In this telephone conversation, the foreign ministers of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq briefly reviewed the excellent relations between the two neighboring and brotherly countries.

They also held consultations and exchanged views regarding the developments in the region, including Yemen, and the need to try to end the war in this country which causes insecurity and instability in the whole region.

In another part of the conversation, while discussing the Vienna talks, the Iraqi foreign minister stressed the importance of continuing the Tehran-Riyadh dialog and its positive effects on deepening and consolidating stability and security in the entire region.

Amir Abdollahian and Hussein also emphasized the continuation of bilateral consultations in order to advance the interests of the two countries and all other regional countries and nations.

Amir Abdollahian and Japanese counterpart exchange views on bilateral ties 

In the phone conversation with his Japanese counterpart Hayashi Yoshimasa on Thursday morning, the two sides traded views on bilateral relations as well as issues of mutual interest on the regional and international levels.

They also discussed the need to expand mutual cooperation on different fronts and held consultations on the process of nuclear talks in Vienna intended to lift illegal sanctions against Iran.

During the conversation, the top Japanese diplomat termed Tehran-Tokyo relations as historic and very important.

He expressed support for the Vienna negotiations aimed at lifting anti-Iran sanctions and reaching a nuclear deal, and highlighted the necessity of all parties to the talks adopting necessary measures in line with fulfilling their commitments, and of taking the current opportunity to reach an agreement.

He also underscored that ideal grounds exist for promotion of economic ties between Iran and Japan if the current obstacles are removed, inviting his Iranian counterpart to visit Tokyo.

Amir Abdollahian, in turn, welcomed the expansion of cooperation with Japan in different fields.

Iran’s foreign minister also welcomed his Japanese counterpart’s invitation to visit that country, expressing hope he would visit Tokyo the first chance he gets and meet Japanese officials in order to discuss the all-out expansion of relations with Tokyo as an old friend of Tehran.

Amir Abdollahian also thanked Japan for expressing its readiness to help the Vienna talks move forward, saying Iran stands ready to reach a good, lasting and reliable agreement.

Amir Abdollahian voices hope cooperation between Tehran and Riyadh contribute to ending regional problems 

Amir Abdollahian held talks on Thursday with OIC Secretary General Hussein Ibrahim Taha about the problems faced by the Muslim world and the Islamic Ummah, the trend of bilateral and multilateral relations and cooperation between Iran and the organization, the Iranian foreign ministry said. 

Amir Abdollahian and Ibrahim Taha also discussed the reopening of Iran’s diplomatic mission at the OIC and some regional issues.

The Iranian foreign minister thanked the OIC secretary general’s efforts to reopen Iran’s diplomatic mission at the secretariat of the organization in Jeddah. He referred to some problems of the Muslim world and described Ibrahim Taha’s role as the secretary general of the OIC in resolving those problems as very effective.

Amir Abdollahian underlined that Iran and Saudi Arabia are two important countries of the region and the Muslim world, adding that the role of big Muslim countries in helping resolve the problems of the Islamic Ummah is very effective. He expressed hope that dialog and cooperation between Tehran and Riyadh will be conducive to ending the problems of the region and the Islamic world.

For his part, Ibrahim Taha welcomed the reopening and active participation of the diplomatic mission of the Islamic Republic in the organization. He described Iran's role as a founding and active member of the OIC as very important and effective. Ibrahim Taha noted that the organization will not be able to solve the problems of the Islamic world without the active participation and cooperation of all Islamic countries, saying, “We call on all our brothers and members to fully support this organization.”

The OIC chief further supported talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia, stressing that the emergence of problems between Islamic countries is unfortunate and annoying, and that the organization invites Muslim and brotherly countries to peace and dialog.

At the end of the conversation, Iran’s top diplomat invited Hussein Ibrahim Taha to visit Iran, and the OIC chief welcomed the invitation.

The conversation between Amir Abdollahian and Ibrahim Taha came after Iran resumed diplomatic representation at the OIC after six years. Three Iranian diplomats arrived in the Saudi city of Jeddah, the seat of the OIC, in January to represent Iran in the Islamic organization.

The activities of the Iranian representative office in Jeddah stopped in early 2016, following the severing of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, after demonstrators attacked Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Tehran and its consulate in the city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran.

In December, Amir Abdollahian announced that Saudi Arabia has agreed to issue visas to three of Iran’s diplomats who work as diplomats residing at the headquarters of the OIC.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said that Saudi Arabia issued visas to three Iranian diplomats, while the Kingdom confirmed the issuance of visas as part of the normal procedure for representatives of member states of the organization residing in Jeddah.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in mid-January that Iran was ready to reopen Tehran’s embassy in Riyadh, underlining that reopening embassies depends on a Saudi will.

Speaking at a weekly press conference, Khatibzadeh said Iran was now focused on resumption of its diplomatic activities in the Jeddah-based OIC.

“The focus is on starting the Islamic Republic of Iran's mission to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah, and our diplomats obtained visas to conduct this feasibility study,” he said.