Syrian diplomat rules out immediate military deployment in Saudi Arabia

A senior Syrian diplomat and a senior Saudi official told Reuters that the defence cooperation agreement between Damascus and Riyadh currently focuses on training, expertise-sharing and advisory support. They also confirmed that joint exercises have been held, with further security and defence drills planned.

The Syrian diplomat said that talk of any Syrian military deployment in Saudi Arabia at this stage was premature, explaining that the agreement covers advisory support, training and expertise-sharing. He added that it could develop in the future to include broader cooperation similar to the Mecca Agreement.

He said Syria's current priorities are strengthening internal security, securing its borders and rebuilding the country.

For his part, a senior Saudi official told Reuters that sharing expertise with the Syrian side primarily aims to restructure Syrian forces. He added that Syrian partners could assist Saudi Arabia by drawing on their combat experience in confronting "militias".

The official also noted that joint exercises between the two countries are currently underway in the security and defence fields, with additional drills planned for the coming period.

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ANHA