Saudi, Syria sign defense cooperation pact, $403M loan agreements
What's the story
Saudi Arabia and Syria have signed a defense cooperation agreement during Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's visit to Riyadh, Reuters reported. The deal was finalized in a meeting between President al-Sharaa and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This was their second meeting in less than a month. The details of the defense agreement remain undisclosed for now.
Military assistance
Military support to Saudi Arabia under consideration
Last month, it was reported that Syria was considering providing military support to Saudi Arabia as Riyadh continues to face missile and drone attacks from Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group.
A Syrian diplomat had then said any military cooperation would be conducted through official channels and bilateral agreements between the two countries.
Global assistance
Saudi Arabia seeking help against Houthi attacks
Saudi Arabia has been looking for help from the United States, European countries, and other Middle Eastern nations for both defensive and offensive support in its conflict with the Houthis.
The group has attacked airports and oil facilities in the kingdom as it fights forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognized government for control of the country.
Reconstruction efforts
What they discussedÂ
In its statement, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said al-Sharaa and Prince Mohammed discussed the "current regional and international situation," which included the effects of military escalation on regional security, the safety of international shipping, the reliability of energy supplies and the stability of the global economy.
They also called for de-escalation, the peaceful resolution of disputes and "immediate cessation of all actions that threaten...security of maritime navigation" in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb strait and the Strait of Hormuz.
Financial aid
Saudi Fund for Development signs 6 agreements with Syria
Apart from the defense pact, several other agreements were signed during President al-Sharaa's visit.
The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) signed six concessional development loan agreements worth more than $403 million with Syria to support projects in the energy, water, health, housing, infrastructure and digital transformation sectors
The package includes a $90 million project to rehabilitate generating units at the Aleppo Thermal Power Plant.