Saudi Arabia and Iran confirmed in a joint statement Thursday, after a rare meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries in Beijing, that the agreement to resume diplomatic relations between the two regional powers will contribute to achieving security and stability in the Middle East.

"During the talks, the two sides stressed the importance of following up on the implementation of the Benn agreement and its implementation, which strengthened mutual trust and expanded the scope of cooperation, and contributed to the achievement of security, stability and prosperity in the region," said the statement, which was published by Iranian and Saudi official media.