DAMASCUS (Dispatches) – A new ambassador from Bahrain has formally taken up his post in Syria, the country’s first full diplomatic mission there in more than a decade as Persian Gulf Arab states continue to improve their relations with Damascus.
President Bashar Assad received the credentials of Ambassador Waheed Mubarak Sayyar in an official ceremony also attended by Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad. Sayyar was appointed in December and recently moved to Damascus.
After the foreign-backed insurgency in Syrian failed, Assad has been gradually reintegrating into mainstream regional acceptance. His visit to the United Arab Emirates in March was the first such trip to an Arab country since the foreign-backed war erupted in Syrian.
Syria was expelled from the 22-member Arab League and boycotted by its neighbors after the war broke out.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the war, which displaced half of Syria’s population. Large parts of Syria have been destroyed, and reconstruction will cost tens of billions of dollars. However, the West failed to achieve its goals in Syria.
Early in the conflict, Arab states like Saudi Arabia and Qatar rushed to back foreign militants battling Syrian army forces. Arab countries piled further pressure on Syria.
In recent years, however, the Syrian army has won a series of key military victories with the help of Russia and Iran.
The embassy of Bahrain was reopened in Damascus in 2018.
Most Persian Gulf countries seek warmer ties with Damascus
Iran is a traditional ally of Syria and has sent advisers and resources to back Assad during the war.