Saudi King Invites Syria's Assad To Attend Arab League Summit

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz has invited Syria's President Bashar al-Assad to attend an Arab League summit on May 19, Syrian state media reported Wednesday.

Arab foreign ministers had on Sunday agreed that Syria could resume its role in the body, 12 years after its membership was suspended over Assad's crackdown on protests against him.

The invitation to the summit that will take place in Saudi Arabia, is a powerful signal that the regional isolation of Assad and his war-battered country is ending.

Regional countries - including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and others - had for years supported anti-Assad rebels but Syria's army, backed by Iran, Russia and allied paramilitary groups, regained most of the country.

The icy ties with Assad began to thaw more quickly after the devastating earthquakes in February. Saudi Arabia's foreign minister visited Damascus last month and his ministry on Tuesday said that the kingdom will reopen its diplomatic mission in Damascus.

Saudi Arabia also reached agreement with Iran in march to normalize relations after a seven-year hiatus, opening the way for rapprochement with its ally, the Syrian government.

Sources had told Reuters in April that Assad would be invited to the summit. While Arab countries appear to have brought the Syrian leader in from the cold, they are still making key demands for him to curb Syria's flourishing drugs trade and secure the return of refugees.