Iran’s acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani met with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, on the sidelines of the BRICS Ministerial Council meeting in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod.

In the meeting, the two sides discussed bilateral, regional and international issues and explored ways to develop cooperation.

“The interaction and solidarity between Iran and Saudi Arabia is not only in the interest of the two countries, but also guarantees stable stability and security in the region,” Bagheri said in the meeting, according a readout of the meeting released by the Iranian foreign ministry.

“Israel must face a serious and effective response from Islamic countries against any aggression and crime,” the Iranian diplomat said after referring to the Zionist regime’s atrocities in Gaza.

The acting foreign minister also appreciated the efforts of Saudi Arabia in hosting the Hajj pilgrims, especially the Iranian pilgrims, and demanded to strengthen the provision of necessary facilities to the Iranian pilgrims to perform the Hajj rituals.

Faisal bin Farhan, for his part, expressing his satisfaction with his meeting with the Acting Foreign Minister of Iran, emphasizing the role of ate President Raisi and late Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian in the development of the relations between the two countries. The foreign minister of Saudi Arabia also said that during the period of Dr. Raeisi and my brother Mr. Amir-Abdollahian, not only the resumption of relations was done, but we have reached the stage of strong cooperation and interaction between the two countries, and we are still determined to continue dialogue and cooperation between the two countries.”

Saudi Foreign Minister added that, “Efforts to pursue and strengthen strong relations between the two countries guarantee stability and security in the region.”

Bin Farhan further expressed his satisfaction with the presence of Iranian pilgrims in this year’s Hajj rituals and wished them a successful Hajj.

In March 2023, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed under a Chinese-brokered deal to revive diplomatic relations severed in 2016.

Iran officially reopened its embassy in Riyadh in June, followed by its consulate in Jeddah and its representative office with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The Saudi embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad also resumed operations.

Bagheri Kani arrived in western Russia on Monday to attend the BRICS 2024 as an official member.

Saudi Arabia is one of the countries the BRICS group has invited for official membership.

Kan’ani made the remarks while speaking at his weekly press conference on Monday.

The process of diplomatic talks between Iran and Egypt continued at the highest diplomatic level before the martyrdom of the late Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and these talks continue after his martyrdom as well, Kan’ani stated.

Both Tehran and Cargo emphasize the road map drawn by the presidents of the two states regarding the removal of the obstacles in their relations, he added.

“We hope that along with this process, favorable results would be obtained.”

In the meeting with the Belarusian Defense Minister Major General Viktor Khrenin, Ashtiani stated that the two countries have common views on important regional and global issues and always support each other’s actions and positions. He further pointed out that the Republic of Belarus plays an important role in Iran’s foreign policy.

Saying that the issue of Palestine is an important global issue, Ashtiani pointed out that the Zionist regime is committing genocide and war crimes in the occupied lands.

He pointed to Israeli terrorist move in attacking Iran’s diplomatic premises in Syria and stressed that Iran’s response to this regime was as per Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.

He added that Iran expects friendly and independent countries to condemn the blatant violation of international laws by the Zionist regime.

Referring to the diverse potential capabilities of the two countries in the military and defense fields, Ashtiani emphasized Iran’s readiness to strengthen and promote their bilateral cooperation in those fields.

In the meeting, the two sides also emphasized the necessity of implementing defense and specialized agreements on the current capabilities and bilateral cooperation.

The Minister of Defense of Belarus, for his part, condemned the oppressive attack of the Zionist regime on Iran’s consulate building, describing it as a violation of international law.

He also described the limited Iran’s response to this regime’s action as wisely and thoughtfully, which resulted in managing tension and prevented its escalation.

Major General Viktor Khrenin further stated that despite the pressure and sanctions of Western countries, Minsk declares its readiness to develop and strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields.

Pakistan is an important country which Iran has long-standing relations with, Raeisi said on Monday morning, adding that the two countries have had many economic, political, and religious relations, and favorable cooperation has been established between them.

Iran and Pakistan have common views and have had very good cooperation on the issues of human rights, defending the oppressed Palestinian people, and fighting against terrorism, he added.

In line with neighborhood policies and in line with the policy of holding relations with Muslim countries, we believe that these relations should be improved, Raeisi further cited, stressing that both countries are determined to promote their bilateral ties.

He went on to say that he and his accompanying delegation are scheduled to discuss several issues with Pakistani officials including the issues related to borders, security, economy, commerce, and energy.

“We consider the security of Pakistan as our security and the security of the common borders between the two countries is in the interest of the two countries and the two nations.”

Addressing the UN Security Council briefing on “the situation in Afghanistan”, held in New York on March 6, Saeed Iravani said the de facto authorities in Afghanistan have failed to advance genuine ethnic and political inclusivity.

“Instead, they have imposed stricter limitations on women and girls, restricting their educational opportunities. Additionally, attacks on minority people such as the Hazara Shiites continue, as confirmed by the UN report,” he said.

“We stress the importance of prioritizing and carefully addressing the legitimate concerns of neighboring countries in all initiatives aimed at engaging with de facto authorities,” Iravani said.

“These include the establishment of an inclusive government, safeguarding the rights of all ethnic groups, combating terrorist groups, preventing illegal immigration, and addressing drug production and trafficking. These concerns, to some extent accommodated in the independent assessment (S/2023/856), which underscores positive elements and recommends coherent engagement with de facto authorities,” the Iranian envoy said.

“An inclusive government in Afghanistan can help tackle many problems, like stopping conflicts and reducing the number of Afghan refugees moving to neighboring countries. It sets a foundation for stability and security in Afghanistan and helps protect human rights, especially those of women. For Iran, a crucial sign of an inclusive government is improving the lives of Afghan people and bringing back refugees, which sadly has gotten worse in the last two years, causing us significant hardship,” he underlined.

“Challenges like terrorism, drug trafficking, and border control deficiencies continue and threaten the stability of Afghanistan and its neighbors,” he noted, adding, “The threat of terrorist groups is causing concern to the neighbors. Regrettably, de facto authorities have yet to implement their obligations to combat terrorism.”

“Iran as an immediate neighbor still faces challenges with illegal immigration. The migration of millions of Afghans to Iran has brought a burden to our country under sanctions. Unfortunately, the international community and individual countries have shown little sensitivity to this issue,” the envoy stated.

“Furthermore, Iran has been denied access to even the most basic border monitoring equipment under the pretext of sanctions. This underscores the differing priorities and concerns of neighboring countries and the global community regarding Afghanistan,” he stated.

Raeisi felicitated Sharif upon his election as the new prime minister of Pakistan.

Sharif who was the consensus candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was elected as the Prime Minister of Pakistan for the second time in a row by the majority vote of the new parliament members of this country.

The Iranian president expressed hope that in the light of deep historical and cultural ties, the two countries will work harder to strengthen and expand cooperation in order to achieve the desired level of relations.

“Within the framework of its permanent policy, the Islamic Republic of Iran is fully prepared to strengthen and deepen all aspects of bilateral relations with the brother and neighboring country of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” he stressed.

Raeisi also wished success for the new Pakistani government and also prosperity and well-being for the noble nation of Pakistan.

Assistant to Iran’s foreign minister and the director general of the foreign ministry’s Persian Gulf Department Mohammad Ali Bak lodged an official protest with the Kuwaiti ambassador to Tehran over the Arab country’s recent controversial statements and unilateral claims.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that an agreement on this issue can be reached in an atmosphere of cooperation and respect for common interests,” Ali Bak told the Kuwaiti envoy in a meeting.

He added that undoubtedly, making unilateral claims cannot help to solve this case and will not create any rights for the party expressing these positions.

He also emphasized Tehran’s readiness to hold a new round of talks with the Kuwaiti government in a friendly atmosphere to reach a favorable solution for both parties.

Back in January, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kan’ani stressed that the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to continue bilateral negotiations with Kuwait within the framework of the results of the previous negotiations with this country regarding the exploitation of joint hydrocarbon resources in the Arash field as well as the issues related to the maritime boundaries, the senior Iranian diplomat said.

Emphasizing the principled policy of Iran regarding good neighborliness and strengthening relations with neighbors, Kan’ani added that Tehran believes that an agreement regarding this case can be reached through constructive cooperation and interaction and with respect for the interests of the two countries.

Making unilateral claims does not provide a suitable atmosphere for managing and advancing the issue, based on common interests, he added.

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