Syria and Tunisia restore diplomatic ties after a decade
BEIRUT (AP) – Syria will reopen its embassy in Tunisia after the North African country announced the appointment of a new ambassador to Damascus, Syrian state media reported on Wednesday.
Tunisia is the latest Arab state to resume diplomatic ties with Syria after cutting ties a decade ago.
Tunisian President Kais Saied’s move to appoint a new ambassador was immediately approved and reciprocated by the Syrian government, according to a joint statement by the two countries’ foreign ministries, according to Syrian state news agency SANA.
The announcement is the latest step in a regional trend of rapprochement with the war-torn country, which has been gaining momentum since the deadly February 6 earthquake in Syria and Turkey and the China-brokered restoration of Saudi Arabia-Iran ties and the winner is.
Syria has been largely shunned by Arab governments over Syrian President Bashar Assad’s brutal crackdown on protesters and later civilians in a civil war that began in 2011. The breakdown in relations culminated in Syria being ousted from the Arab League. Tunis closed its embassy in Damascus in 2012.
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Saudi Arabia is hosting the next Arab League summit in May, where most states hope to restore Syria’s membership, said the League’s secretary-general, Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
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