Syria’s FM to Algeria, Tunisia to revive diplomatic ties

ALGIERS (AP) — Syria’s chief diplomat is on a visit to Algeria and Tunisia as part of efforts to revive diplomatic relationships in the Arab world. The move comes more than a decade after Syria was globally isolated amid President Bashar Assad’s brutal crackdown on mass protests against his rule. Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad was welcomed on Saturday in the lounge of Algiers airport by his Algerian counterpart. The visit comes after Mikdad’s visit to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday that led both countries to announce they were moving toward reopening embassies and resuming flights. Mikdad is scheduled to head to Tunisia on Monday, where he is to reopen Syria’s embassy.