Riyadh joins detente effort in Damascus

DAMASCUS, Syria, July 17 (UPI) -- Saudi Arabia moved to solidify its economic relations with Syria as part of a Western push to counter Iranian influence in the Middle East.

Ties between both countries became strained following the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, which Western allies blamed on Syria.

That acrimony reached a highpoint when Saudi Arabia boycotted the Arab League summit when Damascus hosted the event in 2008. Riyadh, however, has now appointed a new ambassador to Damascus while moving toward a bilateral summit later in the year.

Riyadh is on the verge of major economic investments in Damascus as part of a broader push by Western nations to court Iranian allies, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The relationship between Damascus in Tehran, for its part, has strained due to oscillating viewpoints on Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Syria has moved in its own right to expand its ties with its neighbors in the Middle East, reaching a series of energy deals with Iraq, Turkey and Iran.

Saudi investments in Syria slumped to record lows in 2007 to just $14 million, down from $910 million in 2006, though the new push for detente could bring foreign money back into the markets in Damascus.