ChineseStateCouncilorandForeignMinisterQinGangmeetwithSaudiArabianForeignMinisterPrinceFaisalbinFarhanAlSaudandIranianForeignMinisterHosseinAmir-AbdollahianinBeijing,capitalofChina,April6,2023.(Xinhua/DingLin)

Althoughchallengesandobstaclesremain,thegrowingtrendofregionalrapprochementandcooperationintheMiddleEastisapositivedevelopmentwiththepotentialtobringstabilityandprosperitytotheregion.

CAIRO/JERUSALEM,April17(Xinhua)--DuringtheSyrianforeignminister"sfirstvisittoSaudiArabiasince2011,thetwocountriesonThursdayannouncedthattheyaretakingstepstoreopenembassiesandresumeflightsforthefirsttimeinmorethanadecade--oneofthemanyreconciliatoryeventsintheMiddleEastrecently.

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Theyear2023haswitnessedastrongregionalrapprochementinMideast.Reconciliatorystepsaretakenoneafteranothertobreakdiplomaticimpassesandendthefeudoverseveralhotspotissues,whichareexpectedtoexertaprofoundimpactontheconflicts-ravagedregion.

SUCCESSIVEICE-BREAKINGNEWS

BrokeredbyChina,SaudiArabiaandIranonMarch10agreedtoresumediplomaticrelationsandreopenembassiesandmissionswithintwomonths,almostsevenyearsafterRiyadhcutdiplomatictieswithTehranin2016.

Then,inameetinginBeijingonApril6,IranianForeignMinisterHosseinAmir-AbdollahianandhisSaudicounterpart,PrinceFaisalbinFarhanAlSaud,signedajointstatement,announcingtheresumptionofdiplomaticrelationswithimmediateeffect.

IranalsoofficiallyconfirmedinearlyAprilthatIranianPresidentEbrahimRaisihadacceptedaninvitationfromSaudiCrownPrinceandPrimeMinisterMohammedbinSalmanAlSaudtovisitRiyadh.Andbothsideshaverecentlysenttechnicalteamstoexaminethereopeningofembassiesandconsulates.

BesidesSaudiArabiaandIran,Yemenhasalsoseenprogressinitspeaceprocess.Yemen"swarringpartiesbeganathree-dayexchangeofmorethan880detaineesonFriday,markingasignificantsteptowardpeaceinthewar-tornArabcountry.

SaudiArabiaisplanningtoinviteSyrianPresidentBasharAl-AssadtotheArabLeagueSummitwhichwillbehostedbyRiyadhinMay,threesourcesfamiliarwiththeplantoldmediainearlyApril.SuchamovewouldformallyendSyria"sisolationintheregion.

Inaddition,QatarandBahrainannouncedtheresumptionofformaldiplomaticrelationsonWednesday,whileTurkishForeignMinisterMevlutCavusoglusaidonThursdaythatTürkiyeandEgyptwillraisetheirrelationstotheambassadoriallevelinthecomingperiod.

SyrianForeignMinisterFaisalMekdad(3rdR)andhisvisitingIraniancounterpartHosseinAmir-Abdollahian(3rdL)attendajointpressconferenceinDamascus,Syria,Jan.14,2023.(PhotobyAmmarSafarjalani/Xinhua)

DEVELOPMENT-ORIENTEDRECONCILIATION

AnalystshaveobservedthatthetrendtowardsreconciliationintheMiddleEastisbeingdrivennotonlybypoliticalandsecurityconcernsbutalsobyagrowingfocusondevelopment.

DuetotheCOVID-19pandemic,theUkrainecrisis,andsuccessiveinterestratehikesbytheU.S.FederalReserve,severalcountriesintheregionhaveexperiencedcapitaloutflows,currencydevaluation,andspikesininflation.

Consequently,thesecountriesarenowattachinggreaterimportancetodevelopment,whichrequiresastableandpeacefulregionalenvironment.Asaresult,thereisagrowingconsensusthatbreakingawayfromU.S.control,reducingtensions,andenhancingcooperationwithneighboringcountriesarecrucialdiplomaticstrategies.

GeraldFeierstein,seniorvicepresidentoftheWashington-basedMiddleEastInstitute,notedthattheglobalpandemic,pressuretoaddressdomesticpoliticalandeconomicdemands,andtheneedtopromoteeconomicdiversification,havetogethershiftedleaderships"attentionto"problemsathomeratherthanforeignpolicychallenges."

Inrecentyears,thesocialstabilityandeconomicdevelopmentofMiddleEasterncountrieshavebeenimpactedbyoilpricefluctuationsandtheCOVID-19pandemic,highlightingthevulnerabilityoftheeconomiesthatareoverlydependentonoilandcompellingthecountriestofocusondomesticissuesandeconomicdiversificationratherthaninternationalconflicts,MuthannaMishaanal-Mazrouei,aprofessoratTikritUniversityinIraq,toldXinhua.

Similarly,NimrodGoren,presidentoftheIsraeliInstituteforRegionalForeignPolicies,toldXinhuathatsomecountriesintheregionhavechosentobypasstheirlongstandingrivalriesinpursuitofeithersecurityinterestsoreconomicgains,tighteningthelinkagebetweendomesticandforeignaffairs.

Afterathree-yearhiatus,theArabLeaguesummitresumedinNovember2022,adoptingtheAlgiersDeclarationwhichcallsforjointactiontotackletheregionalandglobalchallengesandstressestheimportanceofunifyingeffortstopreserveArabcommoninterests.

TunisianPresidentKaisSaied,whosecountryhostedtheprevioussummitin2019,saidinhisopeningaddressthatthesummit"smotto"thereunification"summedupthehopetoovercomeallthedifferencesthathaveledtothediscordintheArabregion.

Althoughchallengesandobstaclesremain,thegrowingtrendofregionalrapprochementandcooperationintheMiddleEastisapositivedevelopmentwiththepotentialtobringstabilityandprosperitytotheregion.Byputtingasidelongstandingrivalriesandworkingtogethertoaddresssharedchallenges,countriesintheregioncanfosteramorepeacefulandprosperousfuturefortheirpeople.■