Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Saudi-Syria ties grow with diplomatic visits - analysis

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan travelled to Damascus this week. This is a major move by Saudi Arabia, one of several recent high level meetings with the Syrian regime that are designed to normalize the regime’s ties with the region after a decade of war.

"President Bashar al-Assad meets Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan," Syria's official news agency SANA said on Tuesday. Syria’s foreign minister, Faisal Mekdad, also visited Riyadh last week. Mekdad was also in Tunisia this week.

Saudi Arabia is leading several diplomatic initiatives in the region. It has reconciled with Iran and is seeking to end the Yemen war. It also recently hosted US Senator Lindsey Graham before he came to Israel and is hosting Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Riyadh is positioning itself as a major diplomatic player in the region after years in which it saw its influence eroded and there were tensions with Iran, Qatar and others. READ MORE