Saudi Arabia welcomed Wednesday, April 12, an Iranian delegation, who came to reopen diplomatic missions in the kingdom, as well as the head of Syrian diplomacy, as part of a thaw that redraws the regional map.

The Iranian delegation's visit came days after a historic meeting in Beijing of the heads of diplomacy of the two countries, who severed ties in 2016.

That of Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Meqdad comes before a meeting of nine countries from the region is held Friday in Saudi Arabia to discuss a possible return of Syria to the Arab League, whose next ordinary summit is scheduled for May 19 in the kingdom.

The two ministers discussed "necessary steps to achieve a comprehensive political settlement of the Syrian crisis," the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The objective is to achieve "national reconciliation (...) to bring Syria back into the Arab fold and resume its natural role in the Arab world," the text added.

Damascus has been diplomatically isolated since the 2011 crackdown on a popular uprising that sparked a civil war that has become more complex over the years with the intervention of several foreign countries and armed groups.

But more and more Arab countries are now in favor of a return of Syria. "Iranians and Syrians are in Saudi Arabia on the same day. It's totally crazy and it was inconceivable just a few months ago," an Arab diplomat based in Riyadh told AFP.

Riyadh and Tehran recently reached an agreement, negotiated by China, for a resumption of their relations. They are expected to reopen their embassies by mid-May and implement economic and security cooperation agreements signed more than 20 years ago.

Rival camps

Arriving in Riyadh on Wednesday, "the Iranian delegation will take the necessary measures to set up the embassy and consulate general in Riyadh and Jeddah, as well as the activity of the permanent representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said.

Riyadh and Tehran, two heavyweights in the Middle East, had severed their ties after the attack on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran by protesters denouncing the execution in Saudi Arabia of a prominent Shiite cleric.

On Saturday, a Saudi diplomatic delegation visited Tehran to discuss the reopening of the kingdom's diplomatic representation in the Islamic Republic. Nasser Kanani said Saudi Arabia's "technical delegation" would leave Thursday for Mashhad, Iran's second city.

Last week, Iranian and Saudi Foreign Ministers Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Faisal bin Farhane held talks in Beijing on the implementation of normalization that began in the Chinese capital on March 10.

This rapprochement should be formally sealed on the occasion of a visit by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Riyadh, at the invitation of King Salman of Saudi Arabia, a trip planned after Ramadan, at the end of April.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the two countries have maintained an enmity that has been characterized by often opposing positions on regional issues, sometimes supporting rival camps as in Syria, Lebanon or Yemen. Their rapprochement is likely to change the regional situation, especially since it coincides with a thaw in relations between Riyadh and Damascus.

The Saudi kingdom severed relations in 2012 with Syria, where it supported rebels early in the conflict.

But since the February 6 earthquake that devastated southern Turkey and parts of neighboring Syria, Riyadh has sent aid to the affected populations, both in government-controlled and rebel-held areas. The two countries have also begun discussions on resuming consular services.

The war in Syria has killed an estimated 500,000 people, some six million refugees and devastated the country's infrastructure.

(with AFP)

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