The officially recognized Yemeni government has announced that it received an invitation from the Syrian government to reclaim its embassy in Damascus, following the eviction of the Houthi group’s representative from the premises.
Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the Syrian side informed the Yemeni government of the decision to hand over the Yemeni mission in Damascus to the legitimate Yemeni government on Wednesday.
Mubarak pointed out that his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad, informed him of this action, and the Houthi group’s representative was asked to hand over the embassy building and leave.
According to the Yemeni minister, the government is in the process of appointing a diplomatic mission to begin its tasks in Damascus soon.
Observers predicted that a similar step could come from Tehran.
The Houthi group’s ambassador, Ibrahim al-Deilami, still maintains control over the Yemen embassy’s headquarters in Tehran, despite the legitimate Yemeni government’s opposition.
These developments come in the wake of Arab reconciliation efforts led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, starting with the recent historic Jeddah summit, attended by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which marked Syria's return to the Arab League after an approximately 12-year suspension.
Furthermore, the resumption of Saudi-Iranian relations in March had positive implications for various regional issues, notably the Yemeni crisis, according to observers.
Mubarak pointed out that these positive outcomes are the “result of meetings held with the Syrian side in both Saudi Arabia and Egypt,” emphasizing Yemen's support for all Arab reconciliation efforts, reunification, and the resolution of conflicts.
Yemeni political and media consultant, Lutfi Naaman, sees the Syrian move as the beginning of a “new chapter in the official relations between the two countries under regional agreements.”
“We are now waiting for the decision of the Iranian authorities,” Naaman told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Back in September 2014, the Houthi group, which took control of the Yemeni capital Sanaa, had appointed diplomatic missions in both Tehran and Damascus.
This was met with opposition from the legitimate Yemeni government, which called on both countries to respect international diplomatic norms and conventions.
A senior member of the Houthi government appeared to confirm the news in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
While there has been no official statement from the Syrian government, sources in Damascus informed Asharq Al-Awsat that the decision to remove the Houthi presence is seen as an attempt to revive Syria’s rapprochement with Arab nations.
