The statement of Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, made after he met with the UN envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen, about “attempts to find a way to communicate with the Syrian state in a way that provides concrete moves towards a political solution” was not the first indication of attempts to contribute to the path of Saudi-Syrian rapprochement. Several Saudi statements related to this path were issued this January.
On the 11th of January, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Adel al-Jubeir met with France’s Ambassador for Syria, Brigitte Kurmi, and discussed the latest developments in the Syrian issue. This came in addition to an official Saudi-Egyptian statement that stressed the rejection of any military operation affecting Syrian territory and the Syrian decision signed by the Ministries of Economy, Foreign Affairs, and Internal Trade, which stipulates allowing imports from Saudi Arabia.
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These statements and actions coincided with news that a Saudi-Syrian intelligence meeting was being held in Riyadh.
These Syrian and Saudi moves coincided with the visit of UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Nahyan to Syria, who, immediately after returning from this visit, made contact with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan.
Informed sources say that “the political indicators issued recently by the capitals of the Gulf countries, including the position on the Ukrainian war and the relationship with China, indicate that these capitals have begun to break what was previously considered American red lines and take policies based on their political interests in the first place. Therefore, the quest to return warmth to their relations with Damascus may be one of the present headlines that ultimately serve the interest of these countries in the first place,” according to what was quoted by al-Watan.
The path of Saudi-Syrian rapprochement has always been met with American resistance that hinders it due to the security and military relations between the United States of America and Saudi Arabia. The Saudi newspaper “Al-Riyadh” recently published an article in which it said: “It is important for the world to believe that the countries of the region feel their global role in an escalating sense as we enter the twenty-first century. This is the equation that the countries of the Middle East seek to market to the world. However, the Middle East region has learned from history that there are no guarantees without a price. The region is aware of the magnitude of the tensions generated by the U.S.-China rivalry and its direct impact on the image of the Middle East.”
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
