DAMASCUS, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The visit of the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to Damascus could be a prelude to restore normal Arab relations with Syria, said analysts.
It was the first visit of an Arab leader to Syria since the eruption of the Syrian war more than seven years ago.
On Sunday afternoon, after al-Bashir's plane landed in the capital's international airport, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad received him and headed together to the country's main presidential place in Damascus.
Syria's state news agency SANA said al-Bashir came on a "working visit," which lasted for a few hours, after which Assad again accompanied his Sudanese counterpart to the airport.
The official media reported that 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.
Al-Bashir wished Syria a quick recovery, hoping that its people can determine their own future without foreign interventions.
The Sudanese president also highlighted his country's support to Syria, saying Sudan is ready to provide whatever needed to support the territorial integrity and unity of Syria.
For his part, Assad said al-Bashir's visit will give a strong push toward restoring the bilateral relations to what they were before the war.
However, the visit seemed to have more depth to it, as it was read by analysts as the beginning of restoring Arab relations with Damascus given the variety of relations al-Bashir enjoys with regional and Arab countries.
Osama Danura, a Syrian political expert, told Xinhua that the visit of al-Bashir is a "breakthrough" in the Arab-Syrian relations.
"The visit reflects the desire of Arab countries to restore their relations with Damascus and Syria could open the door for meetings with other Arab leaders," Danura said.
The analyst further elaborated that al-Bashir has relations with several regional countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, both powers have supported rebel groups throughout the crisis in the hope of toppling the Assad rule.
In the first place, al-Bashir came to represent his own country, said Danura, noting that he also took into consideration the timing when several Arab countries are sending signals to Damascus to restore relations and the possible return of Syria to the Arab League.
Meanwhile, the pro-government al-Watan newspaper said Monday that the surprise visit has a "political and security indications" with the increase of reports about the return of Syria to the Arab League.
Throughout the Syrian crisis since 2011, most Arab countries have cut or downgraded their diplomatic relations with Syria.
But in recent months, reports emerged that some Arab countries had requested the resumption of their diplomatic relations with Syria.
The fresh nudge in the diplomatic relations comes amid a succession of victories of the Syrian army, which enabled the Syrian government to control much of the country.
