Saudi embassy in Syria has officially resumed its mission in the Arab country, as the two sides seek to foster bilateral relations after more than a decade of severed ties.
Speaking at a ceremony held by the embassy in Damascus on Monday, the Saudi Charge d’affaires, Abdullah al-Haris, described the resumption of the embassy’s activities as an important moment in the history of ties between the two countries.
He stressed the embassy’s keenness to make every effort to promote Damascus-Riyadh ties.
For his part, Syria’s Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Raad reiterated that the two countries maintain deep ties.
He told Syria’s official news agency (SANA) that the resumption of the Saudi embassy’s mission and the reopening of the Syrian embassy in Riyadh that took place in October last year will enable the two countries to strengthen bilateral ties and enhance the joint Arab action that serves the interests of the region’s peoples.
Back in March 2012, Saudi Arabia closed its embassy in Damascus and then severed diplomatic ties with the Syrian government after foreign-backed terrorism and violence gripped the country.
Riyadh also funded Takfiri militants seeking to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The kingdom had reopened its embassy in Syria earlier this year with a charge d’affaires after the Syrian government reopened its Riyadh embassy last year and appointed a new ambassador in December.
Saudi Arabia later appointed Faisal al-Mujfel as its ambassador to Syria in May.
The re-establishment of relations between Riyadh and Damascus is among a series of moves by regional Arab states to mend fences with Syria.
The Arab countries’ decision to re-establish relations with Damascus came after Syria’s increasing success in recapturing vast swathes of its territory and turning the tide against the foreign-sponsored terrorists.
In late January, the United Arab Emirates dispatched its first ambassador to Syria after 13 years, following the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
