Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (R) receives Faisal bin Farhan, Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, in Damascus. © Abdulrahman Al-Abdulsalam/Saudi Press Agency/dpa
The severance of diplomatic relations with Syria was seen as a protest against Assad's brutal crackdown on his own people. Now Syria's head of state is taking an important step out of isolation.
Riyadh/Damascus - In the wake of the rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Syria, the diplomatic mission of the influential Gulf state is to resume its work in the civil war country. It was not clear from the Saudi Foreign Ministry's announcement last night whether this was the embassy.
For its part, the Syrian Foreign Ministry announced that the country's diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia would resume its work, as reported by the state agency Sana. The announcements came a few days after Syria's return to the Arab League on Sunday.
Approaching after years of the Ice Age
Saudi Arabia severed relations with Syria in 2012 and recalled its ambassador. The severance of diplomatic relations was seen as a protest against the Syrian government's brutal crackdown on its own people during the civil war. After years of ice age, the two countries have recently come closer again and most recently negotiated the resumption of consular services. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday evening that the move would strengthen security and stability in the region.
At the weekend, the foreign ministers of the Arab countries ended the isolation of the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad and decided to return the country to the Arab League. Syria was expelled from the organization in 2011 because of its brutal crackdown on its own population.
Crimes against humanity
At the time, Syrian government troops violently suppressed protests in the country. The uprisings developed into a civil war that continues to this day, in which more than 350,000 people lost their lives. Assad is accused of crimes against humanity, including the use of chemical weapons. The Syrian president had used the devastating earthquakes of February 6 in Syria and Turkey to make an increasingly public appearance again.
The rapprochement between Riyadh and Damascus is seen as another major political shift in the region. In March, the two rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran had already announced a resumption of bilateral relations, which at the same time increases the chances of an easing of the conflict in Syria. Along with Russia, Iran is President Assad's most important ally. Saudi Arabia, in turn, has long supported rebels in the Syrian civil war. Dpa
