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Saudi Arabia to reopen embassy in Syria after more than a decade of closure

Thursday, 23 March 2023 4:41 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 23 March 2023 4:53 PM ]

A Syrian national flag waves as vehicles move on a bridge during rush hour, in Damascus, Syria. (File photo by AP)

Saudi Arabia and Syria have agreed to reopen their embassies after cutting diplomatic ties more than a decade ago when the foreign-sponsored Syrian conflict started, a report says.

Reuters news agency, citing a source with knowledge of the matter, reported on Thursday that contacts between Riyadh and Damascus had gathered momentum following a landmark agreement earlier this month between Iran and Saudi Arabia on the restoration of bilateral relations after seven years.

The two governments were “preparing to reopen embassies after Eid al-Fitr”, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, a second regional source aligned with the Damascus government said.

The decision was the result of talks in Saudi Arabia with a senior Syrian intelligence official, another source noted.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject.

Syrian president arrives in UAE on official visit

Bashar al-Assad was in the UAE for an official visit, accompanied by his wife and a Syrian delegation.

The high-ranking Syrian intelligence official reportedly “stayed for days” in Riyadh, and an agreement was struck to reopen embassies “very soon.”

One of the sources identified the official as Hussam Louqa, who heads Syria's intelligence committee, asserting that the talks included security on Syria's border with Jordan and measures to combat smuggling of illegal amphetamine Captagon pills from militant-held areas in Syria to the Persian Gulf kingdom.

Captagon is an amphetamine manufactured in Lebanon and probably also in Syria, mainly for consumption in Saudi Arabia, according to the French Observatory for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT).

It is also one of the most commonly used drugs in the Syrian war, where Takfiri militants say it helps them stay awake for days and numbs their senses, giving them stamina for long battles and allowing them to kill with abandon.

Syria’s Assad meets with Arab parliamentary delegation in Damascus

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has met with a delegation from the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union, which aims to restore Syria’s membership in the Arab League after more than a decade of suspension from the 22-member bloc.

The reopening of Saudi embassy in Damascus will be preceded by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud's visit to Syria, during which he will meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Russia's Sputnik news agency reported.

Back in March 2012, Saudi Arabia closed its embassy in Damascus and then severed diplomatic ties with the Syrian government. The government also funded Takfiri militants seeking to overthrow Assad.

The sudden diplomatic breakthrough could indicate how the deal between Tehran and Riyadh may play into the settlement of other crises in the Middle East region.

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