Saudi Arabia has officially resumed its mission in Syria after 12 years as both Riyadh and Damascus seek bolstering mutual ties.

Speaking at a ceremony held by the embassy in Damascus on Monday, the Saudi Charge d’affaires, Abdullah al-Haris, described the resumption of the embassy’s activities as an important moment in the history of ties between the two countries.
 
He stressed the embassy’s keenness to make every effort to promote Damascus-Riyadh ties.
 
For his part, Syria’s Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Raad reiterated that the two countries maintain deep ties.
 
He told Syria’s official news agency (SANA) that the resumption of the Saudi embassy’s mission and the reopening of the Syrian embassy in Riyadh that took place in October last year will enable the two countries to strengthen bilateral ties and enhance the joint Arab action that serves the interests of the region’s peoples.
 
Back in March 2012, Saudi Arabia closed its embassy in Damascus and then severed diplomatic ties with the Syrian government after foreign-backed terrorism and violence gripped the country. Riyadh also funded Takfiri militants seeking to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
 
The kingdom had reopened its embassy in Syria earlier this year with a charge d'affaires after the Syrian government reopened its Riyadh embassy last year and appointed Faisal al-Mujfel as its ambassador to Syria in May.