Economic interactions are a sign of the seriousness of Tehran-Riyadh's renewed relations.
The proposed positions by the economic authorities of the two countries indicate that Tehran and Riyadh are not only seeking to develop economic relations and compensate for past shortcomings but are also trying to expand the scope of this convergence and cooperation to the regional and multilateral arena.
NOURNEWS - Ehsan Khandozi, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance of the Islamic Republic of Iran, recently made an official visit to Saudi Arabia in order to examine the necessary bases for the expansion of economic relations following the political agreement reached between the two countries.
Although this trip took place under the title of attending the annual meeting of the Islamic Development Bank (ISDB), more important than the meeting and the strategic plans and the proposed proposals of the Islamic Republic in this meeting, the meeting of the economic officials of Iran and Saudi Arabia and the agreements of the parties is the most significant development in regards of this trip. At the end of 1401, Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia, hosted and meditated by China, signed an agreement on the expansion of relations, so that agreement would become the cornerstone and a gateway for what the parties have in mind in the perspective of their bilateral relations. In the middle of April, two countries’ foreign ministers signed another agreement in Beijing, the result of which can be seen in the extensive and fast efforts and actions of the two countries in reopening their respective embassies and agencies.
Simultaneously with the actions and emphasis of the authorities of the two countries regarding the comprehensive and all-around development of relations, the foreign Persian-language media, and some domestic media, tried to introduce these developments as a temporary issue and reduce its importance by creating doubts about these relations. Of course, the concern of the US and the Zionist regime about this agreement showed the seriousness of these developments in their point of view, and Iran's minister of Financial affairs trip to Riyadh was also a sign of invalidation of these tensions because the expansion of economic relations and the drawing of an all-round perspective to remove obstacles in this field are usually an expression of the serious will to renew the relations between the two countries and to promote inclusive relations.
Areas such as energy, transportation, investment, monetary banking, and petrochemicals are among the most important areas of economic cooperation between the two countries, which were also noted in the meeting between Khandozi and his Saudi counterpart. The proposed positions by the economic authorities of the two countries indicate that Tehran and Riyadh are not only seeking to develop economic relations and compensate for past shortcomings but are also trying to expand the scope of this convergence and cooperation to the regional and multilateral arena.
This importance was visible in the positions of the economic officials of the two countries at the annual meeting of the Islamic Development Bank, as Khandozi said: With the support of the Islamic Development Bank, the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to share the fruits of its efforts, experiences, and findings in various fields with the member countries and to share in the framework of its economic interactions. In this meeting, the Saudi officials also emphasized the need for convergence and further cooperation between Islamic and regional countries for economic overlap, a matter that emphasizes the necessity of non-interference by foreign elements, this proposal will be an important model and important component in regional economic formation. Especially now that many countries in the Middle East have come to the conclusion that the US has no agenda nor function other than creating a crisis, according to these facts the US cannot be a reliable partner. The result of this realistic view can be seen in the revival of Arab countries' bilateral relations with Syria, as well as their collective view of interactions with Damascus in the form of the Arab League. In any case, what is seen today in the relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia is a strong and comprehensive will to compensate for the shortcomings of the past and to reach an acceptable and comprehensive perspective in the political, economic, cultural, and security fields.
BY: Mohammad Ghaderi
NOUNEWS