Syria will reopen its embassy in Tunisia as Syria’s top diplomat visited Saudi Arabia seeking to restore ties that have been severed for over 10 years, the news agency according to state media. A joint statement from the foreign ministries of the two countries said that Tunisian President Kais Saied’s move to appoint a new ambassador to Syria was reciprocated by the Syrian government.
“In response to the initiative of the President of the Tunisian Republic… the Syrian government… decided to reopen the Syrian embassy in Tunisia, and to appoint an ambassador soon,” the statement read.
Tunisia expelled Syria’s ambassador in 2012 over the government’s repression of peaceful protesters that triggered over a decade of civil war which killed around half a million people and displaced millions more since 2011.
In March, Tunisian President Saied said that he planned to restore diplomatic relations with Syria. This was the latest example of Arab outreach to the internationally isolated government in Damascus that has gathered pace since Syria and Turkey were hit by a massive earthquake in February.
Since the quake, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has received calls and aid from Arab leaders. President Assad has visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Oman.
And last month, Saudi Arabia said it has started talks with Damascus about resuming consular services.
On Wednesday, A delegation headed by Syria’s Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad arrived in Saudi Arabia for talks about bilateral relations between the two countries. This was the first such visit since 2012.
Saudi state media reported that Mikdad was received by the kingdom’s Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji. The meeting focused on “efforts to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis that preserves Syria’s unity, security and stability, facilitates the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland and secures the delivery of humanitarian assistance to affected areas in Syria.”
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.
