On Tuesday, Syrian state media claimed President Bashar al-Assad met Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Damascus, the largest move yet toward breaking Syria’s decade-long regional isolation.
After Assad’s 2011 crackdown on protestors, Bin Farhan returned to Damascus on Tuesday.
Syria’s state media announced bin Farhan’s visit with Assad.
The Saudi foreign ministry stated online that the visit highlighted the kingdom’s desire to find a peaceful end to Syria’s war that would preserve its “Arab identity, and return it to its Arab surroundings.”
Syria’s Arab League membership was suspended after the 2011 crackdown on demonstrators, and some Gulf Arab governments, particularly Saudi Arabia, supported rebel forces battling Assad.
After Assad reclaimed much of Syria with Iran and Russia’s backing, Saudi Arabia argued isolating him wasn’t working.
Last month, Reuters reported that bin Farhan would visit Damascus to invite Assad to the Arab League summit in Riyadh on May 19.
Last week, Faisal Mekdad visited Saudi Arabia. In Jeddah, the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq reviewed Syria’s Arab integration.
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