Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Damascus to end Syria’s decade-long regional isolation.

The visit is the first by a Saudi official to Syria since the start of the country’s civil war in 2011.

The Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement that the visit showed the kingdom’s desire to find a political solution to Syria’s conflict that would preserve the country’s Arab identity, and return it to its Arab surroundings.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said the Kingdom’s open and realistic policies benefited the region.