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Saudi says in talks with Syria to re-establish ties | Riyadh mending rifts with regional rivals
More than a decade ago, Saudi Arabia cut ties with Syria. Now, Saudi state media says Riyadh is in talks with president Bashar Al-Assad's regime on resuming consular services. The move marks the latest Aaudi step towards mending rifts with regional rivals. Earlier this month, a Chinese-brokered deal was announced to restore diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Saudi has been hinting at a rapprochement with Syria for weeks. In the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, Saudi sent aid to both rebel-held and government-controlled parts of Syria. In February, Saudi foreign minister said a consensus was building in the Arab world that a new approach requiring negotiations would be needed to address humanitarian crises. The Saudi foreign minister added policy shifts on Damascus could also help Syrian refugees in neighbouring Jordan and Lebanon. Syria was expelled from the cairo-based Arab league in 2011 over its violent crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations.
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