Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Oman has sent an ambassador back to Syria, becoming the first Gulf Arab nation to do so since early in the Syrian civil war.
Syrian state media said it received ambassador credentials for Turki Mahmood al-Busaidi to act as Oman's chief diplomat to Syria.
"Talks during the meeting touched on bilateral relations and means to boost and develop cooperation between the two countries in various domains to benefit their brotherly people," a statement said Sunday reported by the government-run Syria Arab News Agency.
Oman closed its embassy and recalled their ambassador in 2012 following what it viewed as a heavy-handed government response to protests at the start of the civil war, which began a year earlier.
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have reopened embassies in Damascus, but neither have sent ambassadors. The UAE, Bahrain and Oman have also restarted direct flights to Damascus this year.
Syria's government, led by President Bashar al-Assad, has waged war with military help from Russia against opposition forces for most of the 2010s.
Oman is attempting to arrange peace talks to settle the long-running civil war, including meetings with Saudi Araba and Iran. Saudi Arabia has supported opposition forces while Iran has supported the Syrian government.