RIYADH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah held wide-ranging talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad here on Wednesday with an aim to build Arab unity on the Palestinian issue ahead of the possible resumption of peace talks.
The summit-level meeting focused on a range of bilateral and regional issues, including Iran’s role in the region and its nuclear program, border incursion by infiltrators and Yemen’s efforts to ensure peace and security.
“The Syrian president’s visit to the Kingdom is a reciprocal one as it comes after King Abdullah’s landmark visit to Damascus on Oct. 8 last year,” said Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, when asked about the Syrian president’s visit to Riyadh.
The talks were attended by Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, Riyadh Gov. Prince Salman, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, and other high-ranking Saudi and Syrian officials. Asked about the subjects discussed by King Abdullah and Assad, a senior Arab diplomat said that “the talks focused on several key issues, and it is important to note that the two leaders backed the Yemeni government’s efforts to end insurgency.”
The talks follow Prince Saud’s visit to Damascus last week and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s visit to Syria in December.
The two sides also discussed ways to improve relations between Cairo and Damascus strained because of regional issues.
“Syria supports the unity of Yemen and is against any intervention,” Assad was quoted as saying by the diplomat. The meeting also focused on the need for unity among Palestinian factions.
President Assad was received by King Abdullah at the airport, from where they went to the king’s Janadariya ranch for talks.
The relations between Riyadh and Damascus got a shot in the arm in recent months, especially following King Abdullah’s visit to Syria.
