Syria's Assad starts Saudi visit
AFP
RIYADH- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday for talks with King Abdullah expected to cover Middle East peace efforts, Iran's role in the region and Iraq.
The king greeted Assad at Riyadh airport and the two headed to Abdullah's private desert farm Janadiriyah outside the capital where the monarch was to host a dinner, the official SPA news agency said.
President Bashar al-Assad with King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz
It has also been seeking to isolate Iran, which is a key ally of Syria, over its controversial nuclear programme.
Damascus-Riyadh ties were severely strained for years, notably over Syria's role in Lebanon and its support for Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah, before a thaw marked by landmark Damascus trip by Abdullah in October.
But the two countries still differ over Lebanese politics, over the Palestinian division between the Hamas and Fatah factions, and Iran's role in the region, according to diplomats and analysts.
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