TEHRAN, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Saudi Arabia should make use of the historical reconciliation last March to further cement a key political outcome, an Iranian expert on international relations said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

One year ago on this day, March 10, Tehran and Riyadh, under China's mediation, agreed to reopen embassies and exchange diplomatic missions, ending a seven-year diplomatic freeze.

Sadreddin Mousavi, an assistant professor in Islamic political thought at the state-owned Research Institute of Imam Khomeini and Islamic Revolution, said "easing of tensions is a positive step that should be welcomed since Iran and Saudi Arabia are two major and most influential regional countries."

He said reducing tensions was in the interests of both countries, which shared religious commonalities that provided them with the opportunity to cooperate in diverse areas.

Mousavi maintained that the reconciliation could also prepare the ground for further political convergence on Yemen and other issues of shared concern, thus contributing to regional and global peace, and in the long run, give impetus to cooperation in energy and sustainable development.

"Sustainable development is not possible in an insecure environment," he said, adding that a tension-free atmosphere could pave the way for deeper bilateral cooperation in the oil, gas and tourism sectors as well as within the framework of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Mousavi, however, regretted that "at present, the two countries' relations are not at a level letting them have extensive economic cooperation," expressing optimism that resolving tensions could be the starting point towards that end.

He said the two countries were expected to work more seriously toward expanding ties and cooperation on the back of the opportunity they had been given by their reconciliation.

Since Saudi Arabia is an influential player among Arab countries, the detente could help increase willingness among other regional countries to improve ties with Iran, Mousavi noted.

The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran was one of the major sources of tension in the Middle East. In 2016, Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran in response to the attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran after the Kingdom executed a Shiite cleric. Enditem

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