BEIRUT: Syria will reopen its embassy in Tunisia following the nomination of a new ambassador to Damascus, according to Syrian official media on Wednesday.
Tunisia has become the latest Arab country to resume diplomatic ties with Syria after a decade of estrangement.
The Syrian government quickly agreed and reciprocated Tunisian President Kais Saied’s decision to designate a new ambassador, according to a joint statement from the two nations’ foreign ministries, according to Syrian state news agency SANA.
The declaration is the latest step in a regional trend of rapprochement with the war-torn country, which has accelerated since the catastrophic Feb. 6 earthquake in Syria and Turkey, as well as the reestablishment of links between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which was facilitated by China.
Syrian President Bashar Assad’s ruthless crackdown on demonstrators and later civilians in an uprising-turned-civil war that began in 2011 was highly condemned by Arab states. Syria was kicked out of the Arab League as a result of the collapse in relations. In 2012, Tunis closed its embassy in Damascus.
Assad visited Oman and the United Arab Emirates earlier this year, two countries that have backed rebels seeking to destabilize his administration. According to reports, the Syrian government is in talks with Saudi Arabia to reopen their embassies in each other’s countries.
According to the league’s secretary-general, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the next Arab League summit will be held in Saudi Arabia in May, with most governments hoping to restore Syria’s membership.
