Syria’s Mekdad to start Arab tour first visiting Algeria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad will arrive in Algeria on Saturday, Algerian state radio reported late on Friday.
Algeria will be Mekdad’s first station followed by Tunisia and Iraq.
Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Ataf will receive Mekdad, state radio added.
Pro-government Wattan newspaper cited sources as saying that Mekdad will start on Saturday an Arab tour first in Algeria where he will meet senior officials.
The Syrian foreign minister also will visit Tunisia where he will have discussions on developing bilateral relations, and from there he will move to Iraq for developments related to conditions in Syria and Arab stances regarding Syria’s readmission to the Arab League.
Syria was expelled from the Arab League in 2011 over the government’s brutal crackdown against protestors.
Boosting bilateral ties will be among the crucial issues that Mekdad will discuss with foreign ministers of the three Arab countries he will be visiting, according to Wattan.
Syria, following the disaster of the Feb. 6 earthquake, has been witnessing an Arab opening towards normalizing ties the last of which was by Saudi Arabia.
Syria and Saudi Arabia announced on April 13 the resumption of consular services and flights between the two countries towards boosting diplomatic relations.