Iraqi President Salih to visit Damascus within next few days

Iraqi President Barham Salih is reportedly going to pay an official visit to Damascus, in his first visit to Syria since the start of the foreign-sponsored conflict there more than seven years ago.

An Iraqi diplomatic source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Arabic service of Russia’s Sputnik news agency on Tuesday that the 58-year-old Kurdish politician will depart Baghdad for the Syrian capital “in the coming days.”

The report came only two days after Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir became the first Arab League leader to visit Damascus.

Syria's official news agency SANA said Bashir was greeted by his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad upon arrival at Damascus International Airport, before they both headed to the presidential palace.

The two leaders discussed bilateral ties and the "situations and crises faced by many Arab countries", the Syrian presidency said in a statement.

SANA quoted the Sudanese leader as saying during the meeting that he hoped Syria will recover its important role in the region as soon as possible.

He also affirmed Khartoum’s readiness to provide all that it can to support Syria's territorial integrity.

Assad, for his part, thanked al-Bashir for his visit, asserting that it will give strong momentum for restoring relations between the two countries "to the way it was before the war on Syria."

Earlier this month, Lebanese legislator Abdel Rahim Mourad said he had been officially informed by Emirati officials that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) intends to restore diplomatic relations with Syria, and open its embassy in Damascus.

“The UAE supports the return of Syria to the Arab League,” the Lebanese parliamentarian said while taking part in the "Game of Nations" program on Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network.

He also asserted that he had played a similar role as a mediator between Syria and Saudi Arabia.

Mourad said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had not reacted negatively to the idea of ​​a rapprochement between Riyadh and Damascus.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011.

The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups wreaking havoc in the country.