Saudi Arabia and Syria ‘in talks to restore ties’
1 year, 9 months ago

Saudi Arabia and Syria ‘in talks to restore ties’

Al Jazeera  

Saudi state television reports that the two countries are in talks to resume consular services. Saudi Arabia and Syria are in talks over a resumption of consular services between the two countries, according to Saudi state television, an indication of a possible restoration of ties between the two countries. Contacts between Riyadh and Damascus had gathered momentum following a landmark agreement to re-establish ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad, a regional source aligned with Damascus told Reuters. Saudi state television later confirmed that talks were continuing with the Syrian foreign ministry to resume consular services, citing a Saudi foreign ministry official. The US, an ally of Saudi Arabia, has opposed moves by regional countries to normalise ties with al-Assad, citing his government’s brutality during the conflict and the need to see progress towards a political solution.

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History of this topic

Syria FM in Saudi Arabia on maiden trip as new rulers reset regional ties
1 week, 2 days ago

Syria FM in Saudi Arabia on maiden trip as new rulers reset regional ties

Al Jazeera  

Asaad Al-Shaibani arrived in Riyadh in his first overseas visit since the removal of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria. Syria’s top diplomat says he hopes to open a “new, bright page” with Saudi Arabia upon arriving in the kingdom, the first foreign visit for Syria’s new rulers. “I have just arrived in the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, accompanied by …

Iran to reopen embassy in Syria once security conditions are met
3 weeks, 4 days ago

Iran to reopen embassy in Syria once security conditions are met

Hindustan Times  

Iran's foreign ministry said on Tuesday that its embassy in Syrian would reopen once the "necessary conditions" are met, after the diplomatic mission was vandalised following the ouster of Tehran ally Bashar al-Assad. Iran's embassy in Syria was vandalised when Tehran ally Bashar al-Assad was overthrown, but the foreign ministry announced Tuesday that it would reopen provided the "necessary conditions" …

Qatar to reopen Damascus embassy it closed 13 years ago 'to stand with Syrian people’s revolution’
3 weeks, 5 days ago

Qatar to reopen Damascus embassy it closed 13 years ago 'to stand with Syrian people’s revolution’

Firstpost  

Qatar has announced the resumption of the work of its embassy in the sisterly Syrian Arab Republic starting Tuesday Gate of the Embassy of Qatar in the Syrian capital Damascus. “Qatar announces the resumption of the work of its embassy in the sisterly Syrian Arab Republic starting Tuesday,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. During its meeting with the …

Top diplomats from U.S., Arab League and Turkey discuss Syria’s transition
3 weeks, 6 days ago

Top diplomats from U.S., Arab League and Turkey discuss Syria’s transition

The Hindu  

Top diplomats from the United States, the Arab League and Turkey met in Jordan on Saturday to discuss how to assist Syria ’s transition after the fall of Bashar Assad's government a week ago. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said American officials have been in direct contact with the Syrian insurgent group that led the overthrow of Assad’s government, …

Syria and Saudi Arabia resume regular commercial flights as part of a thaw in relations
6 months ago

Syria and Saudi Arabia resume regular commercial flights as part of a thaw in relations

Associated Press  

DAMASCUS — Regular flights between the Syrian capital of Damascus and Saudi Arabia resumed Wednesday for the first time in more than a decade as part of a thaw in relations between the countries, Syrian state media reported. Syria and Saudi Arabia had severed ties in 2012 over President Bashar Assad’s brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters at the start of …

Saudi Arabia appoints first ambassador to Syria since 2012
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Saudi Arabia appoints first ambassador to Syria since 2012

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — Saudi Arabia on Sunday announced the appointment of its first ambassador to Syria since severing ties with Damascus in 12 years, marking an ongoing thawing in relations since the war-torn country was readmitted to the Arab League over a year ago. Faisal al-Mujfel’s appointment as the kingdom’s first ambassador to Syria since 2012 was announced by the state-run …

Saudi Arabia appoints first ambassador to Syria since 2012
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Saudi Arabia appoints first ambassador to Syria since 2012

LA Times  

Saudi Arabia on Sunday announced the appointment of its first ambassador to Syria in 12 years since severing ties with Damascus, marking an ongoing thawing in relations since the war-torn country was readmitted to the Arab League more than a year ago. Faisal al-Mujfel’s appointment as the kingdom’s first ambassador to Syria since 2012 was announced by the state-run Saudi …

Iran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia to depart for Riyadh
1 year, 4 months ago

Iran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia to depart for Riyadh

Al Jazeera  

The Iranian embassy reopened in June, and the ambassador is expected to be fully situated there within days. Tehran, Iran – Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says its ambassador to Saudi Arabia will soon depart for Riyadh to lead Tehran’s diplomatic mission that was reopened in early June after seven years. Iran’s new envoy to the kingdom, Alireza Enayati, met …

Iran's Foreign Minister meets Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince as long-standing tensions show signs of easing
1 year, 4 months ago

Iran's Foreign Minister meets Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince as long-standing tensions show signs of easing

India TV News  

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Friday met Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as both countries considered arch-rivals of each other for several years are trying to defuse tensions following Chinese mediation. Iran has also been blamed for several attacks, including a missile and drone strike on Saudi Arabia's oil industry that temporarily reduced the kingdom's crude production. …

Syria’s Assad arrives in Saudi Arabia for regional summit, sealing his return to the Arab fold
1 year, 7 months ago

Syria’s Assad arrives in Saudi Arabia for regional summit, sealing his return to the Arab fold

Associated Press  

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Syrian President Bashar Assad arrived on Thursday in Saudi Arabia to attend a regional summit that is expected to seal Syria’s return to the Arab fold, marking his first visit to the oil-rich kingdom since Syria’s conflict began in 2011. During Syria’s conflict, Assad only visited Russia and Iran and over the past two years he …

Syria’s Assad arrives in Saudi Arabia in first visit since war
1 year, 7 months ago

Syria’s Assad arrives in Saudi Arabia in first visit since war

Al Jazeera  

President Bashar al-Assad to attend the Arab League summit on Friday, a sign of his regional rehabilitation. But the president’s arrival in regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia on Thursday is the latest example of an attempt by the majority of Arab states to now restore ties. Relations between Syria and Saudi Arabia had been turbulent since al-Assad took office in 2000 …

Saudi Arabia, Syria to reopen embassies restoring relations
1 year, 8 months ago

Saudi Arabia, Syria to reopen embassies restoring relations

The Hindu  

Saudi Arabia and Syria will reopen diplomatic missions between the two countries now that relations have improved 11 years after the facilities were closed, the two nations foreign ministries said Tuesday. That had followed a visit by Syria’s top diplomat to the kingdom, the first since Saudi Arabia cut off diplomatic relations with Syria in 2012 and a visit by …

Syria’s homecoming: The Hindu Editorial on Arab League’s decision to readmit Syria
1 year, 8 months ago

Syria’s homecoming: The Hindu Editorial on Arab League’s decision to readmit Syria

The Hindu  

The Arab League’s decision to readmit Syria, after over a decade of isolation, signals a growing desire of regional powers to set aside intra-Arab rivalries and work towards establishing a more predictable, stable relationship with one another. Ironically, it is Saudi Arabia, which had rallied the Arab countries to expel Syria in 2011 amid the regime’s crackdown on protests, that …

Arab governments vote for Syria's return to the Arab League after 12-year absence
1 year, 8 months ago

Arab governments vote for Syria's return to the Arab League after 12-year absence

The Hindu  

Arab government representatives in Cairo voted on May 7 to return Syria to the Arab League after a 12-year suspension, according to the organisation. The vote in the Egyptian capital came days after regional top diplomats met in Jordan to discuss a roadmap to return Syria to the Arab fold as the conflict continues to de-escalate, and soon before Saudi …

Saudi Arabia, Iran to reopen embassies ‘within days’: Minister
1 year, 8 months ago

Saudi Arabia, Iran to reopen embassies ‘within days’: Minister

Al Jazeera  

Announcement comes after the two countries agreed to restore diplomatic relations during talks in China last month. Saudi Arabia and Iran will reopen embassies in each other’s capitals “within days”, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said in a sign of warming relations after the two countries closed their missions seven years ago. The two countries reached an agreement in …

Saudi foreign minister visits Syria as relations thaw
1 year, 8 months ago

Saudi foreign minister visits Syria as relations thaw

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat arrived in the Syrian capital on Tuesday, the first official visit by an official from the kingdom in more than a decade, the Syrian government said. A statement published by Saudi state media said that bin Farhan’s visit came “within the framework of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s keenness and interest to reach a …

Saudi foreign minister to visit Syria as relations thaw
1 year, 8 months ago

Saudi foreign minister to visit Syria as relations thaw

The Hindu  

Saudi Arabia's top diplomat is expected to arrive in the Syrian capital on Tuesday, the first official visit by an official from the kingdom in more than a decade, the Syrian government said. Syria and Saudi Arabia said last week they were moving toward restoring consular services and resuming flights between the two countries. The overtures picked up pace since …

Saudi Arabia and Iran end their explosive proxy-war
1 year, 8 months ago

Saudi Arabia and Iran end their explosive proxy-war

The Telegraph  

Saudi Arabia and Iran’s surprise agreement to put aside their explosive rivalry has raised hopes of resolving conflicts from Yemen and Syria, to Iraq and Lebanon. The Syrian foreign minister became the first senior Damascus official to visit Saudi Arabia since the start of the civil war, as Arab states discussed normalising relations with the government of President Bashar al-Assad. …

Syria, Saudi Arabia move toward restoring embassies, flights
1 year, 8 months ago

Syria, Saudi Arabia move toward restoring embassies, flights

The Hindu  

Syria and Saudi Arabia are moving toward reopening embassies and resuming flights between the two countries for the first time in more than a decade, the countries said on April 13 in a joint statement. Saudi Arabia, Syria may restore ties as Mideast reshuffles However, in recent years, as Mr. Assad has consolidated control over most of the country, Syria's …

Syria’s rapprochement advances with Tunisia, Saudi Arabia
1 year, 8 months ago

Syria’s rapprochement advances with Tunisia, Saudi Arabia

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — Syria will reopen its embassy in Tunisia, state media reported Wednesday, as Syria’s top diplomat visited Saudi Arabia seeking to restore ties that have been severed for more than a decade. His move to appoint a new ambassador to Syria was reciprocated by the Syrian government, a joint statement from the two countries’ foreign ministries said Wednesday, according …

Syria and Tunisia restore diplomatic ties after a decade
1 year, 8 months ago

Syria and Tunisia restore diplomatic ties after a decade

The Hindu  

Syria will reopen its embassy in Tunisia after the North African country announced the appointment of a new Ambassador to Damascus, Syrian state media reported on April 12. Tunisia has become the latest Arab state to reestablish diplomatic ties with Syria, after cutting off relations a decade ago. Analysis | Syria’s hopes of rebuilding after quake grow dim as civil …

Saudi Arabia, Syria may restore ties as Mideast reshuffles
1 year, 9 months ago

Saudi Arabia, Syria may restore ties as Mideast reshuffles

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — Saudi Arabia is in talks with Syria to reopen its embassy in the war-torn nation for the first time in a decade, state television in the kingdom reported late Thursday, the latest diplomatic reshuffling in the region. The announcement on state TV comes after Chinese-mediated talks in Beijing saw Saudi Arabia and Iran agree to reopen embassies in …

Saudi Arabia, Syria may restore ties as Mideast reshuffles
1 year, 9 months ago

Saudi Arabia, Syria may restore ties as Mideast reshuffles

The Hindu  

Saudi Arabia is in talks with Syria to reopen its embassy in the war-torn nation for the first time in a decade, state television in the kingdom reported late Thursday, the latest diplomatic reshuffling in the region. Saudi Arabian state television aired a report late Thursday, quoting an anonymous official in the country's Foreign Ministry, acknowledging the talks between the …

Saudi Arabia to re-establish bilateral ties with Syria
1 year, 9 months ago

Saudi Arabia to re-establish bilateral ties with Syria

Firstpost  

Riyadh: Syria and Saudi Arabia have agreed to reopen their embassies after cutting diplomatic ties more than a decade ago, three sources with knowledge of the matter said, a step that would mark a leap forward in Damascus’s return to the Arab fold. Contacts between Riyadh and Damascus had gathered momentum following a landmark agreement to re-establish ties between Saudi …

Iran, Saudi Arabia to restore ties in China-brokered deal
1 year, 10 months ago

Iran, Saudi Arabia to restore ties in China-brokered deal

The Hindu  

Regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed on Friday to restore ties and reopen diplomatic missions in Chinese-brokered talks, they said in a joint statement, seven years after relations were severed. Shia-majority Iran and Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia support rival sides in several conflict zones across West Asia, including in Yemen where the Houthi rebels are backed by Tehran, and …

Iran and Saudi Arabia agree to restore relations
1 year, 10 months ago

Iran and Saudi Arabia agree to restore relations

Al Jazeera  

The regional rivals are expected to reopen embassies within two months as they re-establish ties and a security agreement after Beijing talks. Iranian state media posted images and video of Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, with Saudi national security adviser Musaad bin Mohammed al-Aiban and Wang Yi, China’s most senior diplomat. “China fully supports …

Syrian president visits Oman in 1st trip abroad since quake
1 year, 10 months ago

Syrian president visits Oman in 1st trip abroad since quake

Associated Press  

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian President Bashar Assad visited the Gulf nation of Oman on Monday on his first official visit since the deadly Feb. 6 earthquake, his office said. It quoted Assad as saying that Oman preserved “its balanced policies and credibility” adding that the region needs the role of Oman to strengthen relations between Arab countries based on “mutual …

UAE top diplomat back in Syria as relations continue to thaw
2 years ago

UAE top diplomat back in Syria as relations continue to thaw

Associated Press  

BEIRUT — The United Arab Emirates’ top diplomat met with Syrian President Bashar Assad on Wednesday, his second visit to Damascus as relations continue to thaw between the two countries. According to a statement from Assad’s office, he and UAE’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed boosting economic ties between their nations. The UAE’s state-run WAM news …

After spat, Saudi Arabia sending ambassador back to Lebanon
2 years, 9 months ago

After spat, Saudi Arabia sending ambassador back to Lebanon

Associated Press  

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia announced Thursday it would send its ambassador back to Lebanon after a diplomatic spat last year. The state-run Saudi Press Agency reported that the kingdom made the decision after the “calls and appeals of the moderate national political forces in Lebanon.” The kingdom also said Lebanon had agreed to “stop all political, military …

UAE FM visit signals Arab world willing to engage with Syria
3 years, 2 months ago

UAE FM visit signals Arab world willing to engage with Syria

Associated Press  

DAMASCUS, Syria — The foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates met with Syria’s once widely shunned president in Damascus on Tuesday, sending the clearest signal yet that the Arab world is willing to re-engage with strongman Bashar Assad. The visit by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the first by an Emirati foreign minister since Syria’s civil war …

UAE reopens Damascus embassy after seven years
6 years ago

UAE reopens Damascus embassy after seven years

Al Jazeera  

Move seen as boost to Syrian government from an Arab country which once funded opposition fighters. The UAE said the reopening was intended to normalise relations with Syria and curb the risk of regional interference in “Arab, Syrian affairs”, according to Saudi-owned TV channel Al Arabiya. “The UAE decision … came after a conviction that the next stage requires the …

UAE re-opens embassy in Syria as Arab leaders begin to welcome Assad back from the cold
6 years ago

UAE re-opens embassy in Syria as Arab leaders begin to welcome Assad back from the cold

The Telegraph  

The United Arab Emirates has re-opened its embassy in Syria, taking a major public step towards welcoming Bashar al-Assad back into the fold of Arab leaders after years of estrangement. Syria was suspended from the Arab League shortly after the Syrian war broke out in 2011 and most Arab states closed their embassies in Damascus in protest at Assad’s violent …

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