Syria's FM arrives in Algeria on official trip
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Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad lands in Algeria amid warming ties between Syria and the rest of the Arab World.
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Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad with his Algerian counterpart Ahmed Ataf in the Hall of Honor at Houari Boumediene International Airport, Apr 15, 2023 (Algeria MFA Twitter)
Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad arrived in the Algerian capital of Algiers on an official trip to the Arab state, Syrian media reported on Saturday.
The Syrian top diplomat will hold talks with senior officials from the North African country, and the meetings are set to be centered around bilateral ties, coordination, and the latest developments that took place within the Arab World and in the international arena, the Syrian SANA news agency reported.
Upon his arrival in Algeria, Mekdad said Algiers and Damascus shared a strong bond that needed to be reinforced and developed.
استقبل وزير الشؤون الخارجية أحمد عطاف، اليوم بالقاعة الشرفية بمطار هواري بومدين الدولي، نظيره السوري فيصل المقداد، الذي يقوم بزيارة إلى الجزائر بصفته مبعوثا خاصا لرئيس الجمهورية العربية السورية الشقيقة، السيد بشار الأسد، لإبلاغ رسالة إلى أخيه رئيس الجمهورية السيد عبد المجيد تبون. pic.twitter.com/ePzJe9RHKj
— وزارة الشؤون الخارجية| MFA-Algeria (@Algeria_MFA) April 15, 2023
A source had informed Al Mayadeen earlier in the week that the Syrian Foreign Minister was visiting Algeria after his trip to Tunisia.
"Mekdad will be present to reopen the Damascus embassy in Tunisia before continuing his Maghreb tour," the source said, noting that the Syrian Foreign Minister "will hold bilateral talks with his Algerian counterpart, Ahmed Ataf."
He pointed out that "Mekdad and Ataf will revive the supreme committee of bilateral cooperation between the two countries in various fields."
Mekdad visited Saudi Arabia on Wednesday on the first trip of its kind since the outbreak of the war on Syria amid thawing ties between Syria and numerous Arab countries.
Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad visited the UAE and Oman this year, and last month Saudi Arabia said it has started talks with Damascus about resuming consular services.
In a related context, nine Arab countries are set to meet in Saudi Arabia later this week to discuss moves to allow inviting the Syrian government to attend an Arab League summit next month.
According to sources, the League is currently split on the decision to re-include Syria's membership, with reports stating that Saudi Arabia and the UAE are trying to convince Qatar and Kuwait of its readmission before the May summit takes place.
A spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry told reporters that Qatari diplomat Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani would attend the Arab Gulf meeting on Syria but said that Qatar’s stance on its readmission remained unchanged.
Last week, CNN reported that CIA director William Burns made an unannounced visit to Saudi Arabia to express his frustration that peace was breaking out in the Middle East against Washington's wishes.
