The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said Iran and Saudi Arabia would exchange ambassadors after the reopening of their diplomatic mission. Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported on Monday.

In a news conference, Nasser Kanaani said the Saudi team arrived in Iran earlier on Saturday.

The team would lay the groundwork for reopening Saudi’s embassy in Tehran and the consulate general in the northeastern city of Mashhad.

He added that the Iranian delegation would soon travel to Saudi Arabia for the same purpose before the scheduled reopening of Iran’s embassy in Riyadh.

Iran will also open its consulate general and representative office to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah.

Following the signing of a joint statement by Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Beijing on Thursday, the two countries had practically resumed official diplomatic relations, Mr Kanaani said.

He praised China for its “goodwill and positive approach” and “constructive role” in normalising ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Mr Kanaani said Beijing had helped complete the diplomatic process that started in Baghdad and Muscat and brought about a “constructive transformation” in relations between Tehran and Riyadh.

During their meeting in Beijing earlier on Thursday, the Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers agreed to lay the groundwork for exchanging economic delegations from the public and private sectors.

According to Mr Kanaani, they would also hold meetings between their joint economic commissions.

In March, Saudi Arabia and Iran reached a deal to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies and missions in the two countries within two months.

Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016 in response to the attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran after the kingdom executed a Shiite cleric.

(Xinhua/NAN)