First Since 2011, Saudi Foreign Minister Visits Syria Ahead Of The Arab League Summit

Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (right) arrived in Syria (Twitter/@KSamofaEN)

JAKARTA - Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in Syria on Tuesday during the first visit of top Saudi officials since the conflict erupted in 2011, according to the Syrian Ministry of Information.

Prince Faisal's arrival in Damascus came after his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad visited Jeddah on April 12.

"Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived at Damascus's international airport today on an official visit to Syria," the Ministry of Information said in a statement, according to The National News April 18, while State TV reported its arrival on Tuesday afternoon.

He was received by the Minister of Syrian Presidential Affairs, Mansour Azzam before meeting with President Bashar Al Assad.

The visit comes days before Saudi Arabia hosted a meeting of the Arab League Summit in Riyadh, which focused on ending Syria's isolation at a time of rapid diplomatic shift across the region.

#Damascus | Foreign Minister HH Prince @FaisalbinFarhan arrives in the Syrian Arab Republic and was received by the Minister of Presidential Affairs of Syria, Mansour Azzam, at Damascus International Airport. pic.twitter.com/bT8THPk5Jx

— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) April 18, 2023

Saudi Arabia and Syria have agreed to start the process of continuing consular services and flights between the two countries, after they made efforts to normalize relations.

Regional efforts have increased over the past few weeks to re-engage with Syria, reducing its presence from the Arab world as a result of a decade-long civil war in the country.

Syria has been suspended from the Arab League since the President Assad government began a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2011.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Mekdad said that after the meeting in Jeddah, the two agreed on the importance of resolving humanitarian difficulties, and providing the environment for assistance to reach all parts of Syria.

Saudi Arabia cut ties with the Presidential Government of Assad in 2012. The devastating earthquake on February 6 that caused destruction in Turkey and Syria, sparked Arab reach for the Syrian government, with a surprising restoration of relations between Riyadh and Tehran in support of Damascus announced the following month.

The visit is also seen as a major step towards ending a decade of Syrian regional isolation over its response to protests against President Al Assad.