Saudi Foreign Minister Visits Syria for First Time in 12 Years

The Saudi Arabian foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, arrived in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Tuesday, marking the first visit by a Saudi official to Syria in 12 years. The visit comes just days after Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad visited the kingdom to help restore normal relations between the two countries. During Mekdad’s visit, an agreement was made to restore consulate services and resume flights between the two nations.

This is part of efforts to restore relations between Saudi Arabia and Syria that have been strained since the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011. Last week, diplomats from nine Arab countries met in the Saudi city of Jeddah to discuss Syria’s return to the Arab fold. They emphasized the importance of a political solution to end the Syrian crisis.