Syria's foreign and defence ministers met with Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman in Riyadh on Thursday in a landmark first visit abroad by members of the new Syrian administration less than a month after it took power.

Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani held talks with his counterpart in Saudi Arabia and the kingdom's defence minister during the Syrian interim government's first international trip, as it seeks to build alliances and bolster its regional standing during a crucial transition period.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Al-Shibani, in Riyadh on Thursday.

RIYADH - Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud met Thursday with a delegation from the new Syrian administration in Riyadh.

The Saudi trip comes amid a wider reset of ties since last month’s overthrow of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad, who was isolated from many other Gulf nations due to Assad’s human rights abuses during the Syrian civil war. Instead, Damascus relied heavily in later years on Riyadh’s regional rival, Iran.

A Syrian delegation led by newly appointed Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday in its first official visit abroad, Syrian state news agency SANA reported, citing a foreign ministry source.

Foreign and defence ministers arrive in Riyadh as Gulf states move to embrace new rulers