Riyadh, Beijing, Tehran Raise Concerns Over Gaza In Tripartite Meeting

The first meeting of the Saudi-Chinese-Iranian Tripartite Joint Committee concluded in Beijing on Friday. The Saudi and Iranian delegations pledged their commitment to implementing the Beijing agreement reached between both countries under Chinese auspices in March.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi chaired a group meeting with the heads of the Saudi and Iranian delegations, the deputy ministers of foreign affairs Waleed bin Abdulkarim Al-Khuraiji and Ali Bagheri Kani, respectively.

Saudi-Iran Relations Following Beijing Agreement

The three parties discussed aspects of tripartite cooperation in several fields. The Saudi and Iranian delegations praised Beijing for its important role in hosting the talks. It was agreed that the next meeting shall be held in Saudi Arabia in June.

Riyadh and Tehran also thanked Beijing for its prominent contribution towards mediating between the two countries. Saudi Arabia severed relations with Iran after a couple of its diplomatic posts came under attack in Tehran and Mashhad in 2016.

The international community swiftly condemned the attack by protesters furious over the execution of a Shia cleric. The then-Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey, Numan Kurtulmus, called for calmness, stressing the Middle East was “already a powder keg”.

Discussions at the tripartite meeting revolved around the improved Saudi-Iran relations following the Beijing agreement, the reopening of the embassies of both countries in Riyadh and Tehran, and the meetings and mutual visits of both nations’s foreign ministers.

Increased Focus On Brutal Israel-Hamas Conflict

The three parties raised concerns over the ongoing situation in the Gaza Strip – that they said posed a threat to regional and global peace and security – and called for an immediate cessation of military operations in the Palestinian enclave.

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The trio also highlighted the need for a sustainable system of civilian aid and slammed the forced displacement of Palestinians, stressing that any solution to the raging conflict must adhere to the will of the Palestinian people.