2023-05-18 17:18:02
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday for a regional summit, his first visit to the kingdom since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, Syrian state media reported.
Assad’s attendance at the Arab League summit, due to begin on Friday, seals Syria’s return to the Arab fold following a 12-year suspension and opens a new chapter in relations following more than a decade of tensions.
The 22-member League, which meets in the Saudi city of Jeddah, recently endorsed Syria’s return and is set to welcome back Assad, who in recent years was considered a pariah in the region. The Syrian president was officially invited last week to attend the meeting.
During the Syrian civil war, Saudi Arabia backed groups trying to overthrow Assad. However, in recent months, Riyadh has been calling for dialogue to end the conflict that has left half a million dead and displaced half the Syrian population.
Assad’s troops have regained control of much of the country with help from Russia and Iran, tipping the balance of power in his favor.
Relations between Syria and Saudi Arabia have been turbulent since Assad took command in 2000 following the death of his father, Hafaz Assad. The two countries broke relations in 2012, when the internal Syrian conflict was burning. Last week they agreed to exchange embassies.
In April, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad visited Riyadh and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, visited Damascus and met with Assad. Mekdad also participated in a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Jeddah on the Wednesday before the summit.
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