Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has arrived in Syria for talks with Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, aimed at healing a rift that has aggravated Arab discord over Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Lebanon.<br /><br />Relations between the two countries deteriorated after the February 14, 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the kingdom's strongest ally in Lebanon.<br /><br />'New era'<br /><br />This week's visit will be the first by a Saudi king to Syria since the assassination and many in Lebanon hope a full reconciliation between Damascus and Riyadh will have positive effects in Beirut.<br /><br />Kamel Wazne, a political analyst, told Al Jazeera: "This is a breakthrough in the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Syria.<br /><br />"It would be a victory for Saudi diplomacy if they can shift Syria's position on Iran into neutral territory."<br /><br />King Abdullah's trip is being hailed as a new era for relations between Damascus and its regional neighbours.<br /><br />Walid Moallem, the Syrian foreign minister, described it as a "historical visit".
