China Plans To Host Summit Of Persian Gulf Countries, Iran This Year - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th March, 2023) Chinese President Xi Jinping has offered the Arab states of the Persian Gulf and Iran to hold a summit in Beijing this year, The Wall Street Journal reports citing sources.

Xi made the proposal at a regional summit in Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh last December, sources told the newspaper on Sunday, adding that a summit between Iran and the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) should take place in 2023.

According to The Wall Street Journal, China wrapped up a deal to restore relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia on Friday, behind closed doors in Beijing. English was not used during the negotiations, with speeches and documents conducted in Arabic, Farsi or Mandarin.

Iran and Saudi Arabia now have two months to agree on the details before reopening embassies. Sources told The Wall Street Journal that Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers are expected to meet to seal the deal soon and the GCC summit with China will come "sometime after that."

Iran has already agreed not to encourage cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia from Yemen by the Houthi rebels, while Saudi Arabia has agreed to tone down critical coverage of Iran, US, Saudi and Iranian officials told the newspaper.