Iran's ambassador to Sudan begins duties after 8-year hiatus
Hassan Shah al-Hosseini, the ambassador appointed by Iran to Sudan after an 8-year break, has begun his duties by presenting his credentials to the Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of Sudan, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
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According to a written statement from the Sovereignty Council, al-Burhan received al-Hosseini, whom Iran appointed as ambassador, in the city of Port Sudan, located in the east of the country.
Sudanese Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hussein al-Amin was present at the meeting.
In a statement following the meeting, al-Amin noted that relations between the two countries are strong, stating that the Iranian Ambassador's presentation of his credentials marks the beginning of a new phase in bilateral relations.
Ambassador al-Hosseini stated that he presented his credentials "within the framework of the mutual consensus between the two countries regarding the exchange of ambassadors and the development of bilateral relations."
Emphasizing that he would do his utmost to strengthen cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Sudan, al-Hosseini stated that his country supports Sudan's national sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.
Al-Burhan also bid farewell to Abdelaziz Hassan Salih, whom Sudan appointed as ambassador to Iran, and Isam Karrar, appointed as ambassador to South Sudan, as they departed for their new posts.
STATUS OF IRAN-SUDAN RELATIONS
In 2016, Saudi Arabia's execution of 47 people, including Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, on "terrorism" charges drew a major reaction in Iran. Protests were held in the country, and attacks were carried out against the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Tehran and the consulate building in Mashhad.
Following this, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Sudan severed diplomatic ties with Iran, while the United Arab Emirates downgraded its relations to the level of charge d'affaires. Kuwait became the fifth country to launch a diplomatic offensive against Iran by recalling its ambassador.
After the agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran to restore diplomatic relations in March 2023, mediated by China, the ice between Iran and Arab countries in the region began to melt.
The then-Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Acting Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali al-Sadiq met on July 6, 2023, in Baku, where they were attending the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement Coordinating Bureau; this contact was recorded as the first diplomatic engagement at this level between the two countries in 7 years.
In a written statement issued by the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson on October 9, 2023, it was stated: "The Republic of Sudan and the Islamic Republic of Iran have decided to resume their diplomatic relations following a series of high-level contacts held in recent months, in order to serve the interests of both countries."