Syrian foreign minister visits Saudi Arabia for the first time in 12 years

Middle East, News April 13, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad arrived in Jeddah on April 12, 2023, for the first visit to Saudi Arabia since 2011. Mekdad aims to strengthen ties between Damascus and Riyadh as the two Arab countries are closing in on restoring relations.

According to both Saudi and Syrian media outlets, Mekdad arrived in Jeddah after an invitation from his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan. An official statement from the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry said that the talks between the two foreign ministers focused on “efforts to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis”.

The statement further said that the two foreign ministers discussed efforts to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis that preserves “Syria’s unity, security, stability, Arab identity, and territorial integrity while also serving the interests of its brotherly people”. The leaders also discussed facilitating the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland and securing humanitarian access to the affected areas in Syria.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, “The two sides stressed the importance of enhancing security and combating terrorism in all its forms, and enhancing cooperation in combating drug smuggling and trafficking, emphasizing the need to support the institutions of the Syrian state to extend its control over its territories to end the presence of armed militias and external interference in the Syrian internal affairs.”

The Syrian foreign minister expressed his country’s appreciation for the efforts exerted by Saudi Arabia to “end the Syrian crisis and its provision of humanitarian and relief aid to those affected by the earthquakes that struck Syria.”

Mekdad’s trip to Saudi Arabia comes only a few days ahead of the regional foreign ministers meeting hosted by Riyadh. During the meeting, Saudi Arabia is expected to discuss Syria’s return to the Arab League forum.

^{Deputy Minister of Saudi Foreign Ministry Waleed El Khereiji meets with Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Faisal Mekdad in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on April 12, 2023. (Image Credit: Saudi Press Agency)}

With the backing from Iran and Russia, Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad has emerged as the evident winner in the decades-long internal conflict that forced millions of Syrians to migrate from their homeland.

After staying isolated for a long time in the regional geopolitical landscape, al-Assad has increased engagements with regional and international leaders. Al-Assad visited the UAE and Oman this year in the Middle East, as well as Russia last month as Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to mend relations between Syria and Turkey.

Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic efforts in the region have also gained renewed momentum after the oil-rich country mended its relations with the long-time regional rival, Iran, with China’s mediation. Since the breakthrough progress on the diplomatic front, Saudi Arabia has been mending its relations with Iran’s allies in the region.

Saudi Arabia is also sorting out the conflict with the Iranian-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition had been waging war against the rebels in Yemen for more than 8 years now, however, On April 10 the Saudi-Omani delegation traveled to Yemen’s capital Sanaa to hash out a permanent ceasefire deal with Houthi officials and end the country’s eight-year conflict.

^{The head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat, meets with Saudi and Omani delegations at the Republican Palace in Sanaa, Yemen, on April 9, 2023. (Image Credit: Saba News Agency/via Reuters)}

In 2015, Saudi Arabia formed a military alliance to act against the uprising in Yemen and entered the country in March 2015. The Saudi-led military coalition was also backed by the U.S. and their motive was aimed to restore the former Yemeni government and President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi into power.