Syria and Saudi Arabia Drawing Closer?

Syria Media Report, 20-Feb-09

IWPR

Institute for War & Peace Reporting

Friday, 20 February, 2009

Syria and Saudi Arabia Drawing Closer?

Syria Media Report, 20-Feb-09

Damascus and Riyadh are exploring ways to strengthen their bilateral ties, according to local media reports.

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad met Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief in Syria on February 15.

Saudi prince Muqrin bin Abdul-Aziz al Saud reportedly gave Assad a message from King Abdullah about “bilateral ties and the importance of consultation and coordination between the two sides”, according to the official news agency SANA.

Relations between the two countries began deteriorating after the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri, who was also a Saudi citizen. They appeared to worsen recently during the Israeli assault on Gaza, during which Syria supported Palestinian group Hamas, a rival to the Saudi-backed Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.

This week, the apparently warming relations between the countries’ leaders were reflected in the official Syrian media. It published news about Saudi local issues for the first time in years, according to pro-government website Syria News.

In addition, the pro-government newspaper Al-Watan reported on February 18 that sources have indicated King Abdullah plans to send an ambassador to Damascus in the coming months.

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