Syria and Saudi Arabia have agreed to reopen their embassies after cutting diplomatic ties more than a decade ago, a Britian-based news agency claimed.
A regional source associated with Damascus claimed that contacts between Riyadh and Damascus had accelerated following a historic deal to restore ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, a significant ally of President Bashar al-Assad.
The most significant advancement in Arab states’ efforts to normalize relations with Assad would be the restoration of ties between Riyadh and Damascus. Assad was shunned by many Western and Arab nations after Syria’s civil conflict started in 2011.
The two governments were “preparing to reopen embassies after Eid al-Fitr”, a Muslim holiday in the second half of April, a regional source said.
One of the local sources and an ambassador in the Gulf say that the choice was made as a result of discussions with a top Syrian intelligence official that took place in Saudi Arabia.
Requests for comment from the Syrian government and the Saudi government’s communication office were not answered.
‘Saudi investment in Iran could happen very quickly’
Later, according to a Saudi foreign ministry official reported by Saudi state media, negotiations to reinstate consular services were being held with the Syrian foreign ministry.
The sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject.
The apparent resolution could be a sign of how Tehran and Riyadh’s agreement may affect other problems in the area, where their antagonism has fueled wars like the Syrian Civil War.
The United States, an ally of Saudi Arabia, has opposed moves by regional countries to normalise ties with Assad, citing his government’s brutality during the conflict and the need to see progress toward a political solution.
When asked about the rapprochement, a State Department spokesperson said the U.S. “stance on normalisation remains unchanged” and that it would not encourage other countries to normalise ties with Assad.
