Syed Zafar Mehdi
11 November 2021•Update: 11 November 2021
TEHRAN
Top diplomats of Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) discussed bilateral trade cooperation and regional issues in a telephone conversation on Thursday.
Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed reaffirmed their commitment to enhance bilateral ties, especially in trade.
Amir-Abdollahian described relations between the two countries as "traditional and positive," and said both sides attach "special importance" to their ties and are confident of "improving" the bilateral cooperation.
He further emphasized "facilitating and developing" trade relations and overcoming problems related to financial exchanges.
Relations between Iran and the UAE have turned from bad to worse in last two years since Abu Dhabi announced normalization of ties with Israel, brokered by the US.
Officials of the two neighboring countries have frequently traded barbs, with Iran warning the UAE against allowing Israel from gaining foothold in the region.
The normalization deal only accentuated hostility between them, which is rooted in a long-running dispute over three islands in the Persian Gulf region.
However, with new government in Tehran pledging to follow "neighborhood-first policy," efforts are underway to bury the hatchet and turn the page in relations with Abu Dhabi.
Importantly, the telephone talk between the two officials came after Zayed's official visit to Damascus, which Amir-Abdollahian called a "positive step".
The upcoming talks between Iran and the world powers in Vienna also figured in their discussions.
The Iranian foreign minister said his side is ready to reach a "good agreement" while asserting that the remaining parties to the 2015 nuclear deal must "return to their commitments".
The stalled talks to revive the nuclear deal are set to resume in Vienna on Nov. 29.
The UAE's top diplomat also enquired about the health of his Iranian counterpart, who is currently recuperating from coronavirus.
Both officials invited each other to visit their countries.
