Saudi + Iranian foreign ministers discuss security + trade in Tehran: Irani Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Saudi counterpart, Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud, met in Tehran to discuss regional security and maintaining “positive” relations, Saudi news agency SPA reports. The ministers discussed topics ranging from offshore security in the region to “sustainable trade, economic cooperation and joint investment,” Bloomberg quotes Amirabdollahian as saying on state TV. The Saudi minister expressed the need for enhanced maritime security in the Gulf region, according to SPA.

Al Saud also expressed the Kingdom's intention to reopen its embassy in Tehran in the near future, following Iran's recent reopening of its embassy and consulate general in Saudi Arabia earlier this month, according to Bloomberg. The meeting signifies a thaw in diplomatic relations between the two countries, brokered by China in March. Saudi Arabia cut off diplomatic relations with Iran in 2016 after protests erupted over the execution of a Shiite Muslim cleric at Saudi's diplomatic posts in Tehran.

Qatar eyes Korean investments: Qatar called for South Korean investments during an investment forum hosted by the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Qatari embassy in Seoul last Wednesday, The Korea Herald reports. Qatar requested investments from South Korean companies amid growing economic cooperation between the two countries, promising incentives including full foreign ownership of listed companies and heavy tax cuts. “We are confident that the private sectors of Qatar and South Korea can play an important role in strengthening trade exchanges between the two countries,” Nasser Al Haidar, a member of the registration committee at the Qatari Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said.

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  • The UAE's International Cooperation Minister Reem Al Hashimy visited Brazil to discuss strategic cooperation between the two countries, including in aviation, transport, and logistics. (WAM)
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