Syria visit may heal war wounds

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's visit to Syria could pave the way for the country to be accepted back into the Arab world after divisions caused by the civil war, said a Chinese expert.

Bashir was greeted at the Damascus airport on Sunday by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad before they headed to the presidential palace, where they held talks on bilateral relations and the latest developments in Syria and the region, according to the state-run news agency SANA.

Li Guofu, a researcher at China Institute of International Studies, said the timing indicates that the Syrian government is relatively consolidated, but more importantly shows the changing attitude in the Arab world.

"The visit started the process of restoring relations between Syria and the Arab countries, as some of them have said that complete isolation is not very desirable, such as Jordan," he said, adding that it might be just a matter of time for other Arab leaders to visit Syria.

He said the visit was also of great importance to Damascus as it indicates the Arab world has accepted the fact that the Syrian government rules the country.

During their meeting, the two leaders agreed that the crises in many Arab countries require new approaches based on the respect of the sovereignty and the policy of non-interference in their internal affairs.

Bashir wished Syria a quick recovery, hoping that its people can determine their own future without foreign interventions. He said Sudan is ready to provide whatever was needed to support the territorial integrity and unity of Syria.

For his part, Assad said Bashir's visit will give a strong push toward restoring the bilateral relations to what they were before the conflict.

Syria was expelled from the 22-member Arab League shortly after the war broke out in 2011. Since then, most Arab countries have cut or downgraded their diplomatic relations with Syria.

In recent months, reports emerged that some Arab countries had requested the resumption of their diplomatic ties with Syria.

Li said leaders from other Arab countries might have been informed of this visit, which could indicate the future direction of Syria-Arab League relations.

"Sudan has always been actively involved in Arab League affairs, thus its president's visit may reflect the changing attitude of the Arab world as well as its willingness to negotiate with Syria to further improve the relationship," he said.

AP and Xinhua contributed to this story.