After Years of Isolation, Quake-Hit Syria Nears Return to Regional Fold

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, center, waves to his supporters upon arrival to takes the oath of office for a fourth seven-year term, at the Syrian Presidential Palace in the capital Damascus, Syria, on July 17, 2021. Syrian Presidency via Facebook via AP

Syria, in the aftermath of two devastating earthquakes on Feb. 6 that left thousands dead in the country’s northwest, appears set to return to the fold of the Arab world after being largely shunned in the region for the past 12 years.

On Feb. 27, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry visited Damascus, Syria, where he held talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.