Saudi foreign minister to visit Syria as relations thaw

BEIRUT (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat is expected to arrive in the Syrian capital, the first official visit by an official from the kingdom in more than a decade. Tuesday’s visit by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to Damascus follows that of his Syrian counterpart to Riyadh last week. The kingdom cut off diplomatic relations with Damascus in 2012, after the outbreak of Syria’s civil war. Syria and Saudi Arabia said last week they were moving toward restoring consular services and resuming flights between the two countries. Syria was widely shunned by Arab governments over Syrian President Bashar Assad’s brutal crackdown on protesters in a 2011 uprising that descended into civil war.