Indonesia to send special envoys to help ease Saudi-Iran tensions

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Indonesia to send special envoys to help ease Saudi-Iran tensions



JAKARTA: -- The Jakarta Globe reported that President Joko Widodo will send special envoys immediately to act as mediators to ease heightening tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia last Sunday announced it had executed 47 prisoners convicted of terrorism and four Shiite Muslims, including dissident cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, who had for years loudly advocated for equal rights for fellow worshipers.

Two days later, enraged demonstrators in the Iranian capital of Tehran stormed the Saudi embassy, ransacking the building and setting it on fire.

Saudi Arabia cut all political ties with Iran in response, prompting fellow Sunni-majority Bahrain and Sudan to follow suit. The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, pulled diplomatic missions from Tehran.

Joko said on Friday that sending special envoys immediately to act as mediators demonstrates the seriousness with which Indonesia is approaching this “important issue.”

The President said he had instructed Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi to prepare the envoys to arrive in Saudi Arabia and Iran by early next week.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/indonesia-to-send-special-envoys-to-help-ease-saudi-iran-tensions


-- Thai PBS 2016-01-11