Saudi Arabia hosted the leaders of Egypt and Syria on Wednesday in an effort to persuade Syria to move away from Iran and join with U.S.-allied Arab countries in working to blunt Tehran's influence.
(NSI News Source Info) RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - March 12, 2009: Saudi Arabia hosted the leaders of Egypt and Syria on Wednesday in an effort to persuade Syria to move away from Iran and join with U.S.-allied Arab countries in working to blunt Tehran's influence.
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, center speaks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, left, and Syrian President Bashar Assad in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, March 11, 2009. Saudi Arabia is hosting the leaders of Egypt and Syria on Wednesday in an effort to persuade Damascus to move away from Iran and instead work with U.S.-allied Arab countries to blunt Tehran's influence. Saudi Arabia hopes the one-day mini-Arab summit will help improve the frayed relations with Syria ahead of a larger Arab summit in Qatar later this month.
Riyadh hoped the one-day session would improve frayed relations with Syria ahead of an Arab summit in Qatar later this month. The leader of another U.S. ally, Kuwait, also attended, Kuwait's news agency said.
Syria has been feuding with Egypt and Saudi Arabia over several issues — especially its close alliance with Iran and militant Palestinian and Lebanese groups.
Before the meeting, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak cast doubt on whether the leaders could come to any agreement. Egypt has repeatedly accused Iran, which along with Syria backs the extremist Palestinian group Hamas, of trying to thwart Cairo's mediation efforts between rival Palestinian factions.
After the session, Saudi Arabia's official SPA news agency said participants agreed it "was a start of a new phase in relations in which the four nations will endeavor to serve Arab interests through cooperation" and strive for a "unified approach to Arab policies."
The statement said the meeting reflected the four leaders' efforts to "clear the air" and follow King Abdullah's call to "leave past difference behind." It did not mention Iran.
Syrian-Saudi relations became strained after the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who also had Saudi citizenship. Many Lebanese have blamed the assassination on Syria, which denies the charge.
Relations soured even more after the summer 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, when Syrian President Bashar Assad described leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan as "half-men" for their failure to act to stop the violence.
Iran and Syria back Hezbollah, a Shiite extremist group in Lebanon that is opposed by predominantly Sunni Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, center speaks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, left, and Syrian President Bashar Assad in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, March 11, 2009. Saudi Arabia is hosting the leaders of Egypt and Syria on Wednesday in an effort to persuade Damascus to move away from Iran and instead work with U.S.-allied Arab countries to blunt Tehran's influence. Saudi Arabia hopes the one-day mini-Arab summit will help improve the frayed relations with Syria ahead of a larger Arab summit in Qatar later this month.
Riyadh hoped the one-day session would improve frayed relations with Syria ahead of an Arab summit in Qatar later this month. The leader of another U.S. ally, Kuwait, also attended, Kuwait's news agency said.
Syria has been feuding with Egypt and Saudi Arabia over several issues — especially its close alliance with Iran and militant Palestinian and Lebanese groups.
Before the meeting, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak cast doubt on whether the leaders could come to any agreement. Egypt has repeatedly accused Iran, which along with Syria backs the extremist Palestinian group Hamas, of trying to thwart Cairo's mediation efforts between rival Palestinian factions.
After the session, Saudi Arabia's official SPA news agency said participants agreed it "was a start of a new phase in relations in which the four nations will endeavor to serve Arab interests through cooperation" and strive for a "unified approach to Arab policies."
The statement said the meeting reflected the four leaders' efforts to "clear the air" and follow King Abdullah's call to "leave past difference behind." It did not mention Iran.
Syrian-Saudi relations became strained after the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who also had Saudi citizenship. Many Lebanese have blamed the assassination on Syria, which denies the charge.
Relations soured even more after the summer 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, when Syrian President Bashar Assad described leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan as "half-men" for their failure to act to stop the violence.
Iran and Syria back Hezbollah, a Shiite extremist group in Lebanon that is opposed by predominantly Sunni Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
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