Saudi needs more time to reopen embassy in Syria after IS defeat

Saudi Arabia will not reopen its embassy in Syria before progress is made on a political process to end the war, the kingdom's minister of state for foreign affairs said on Monday. "This (reopening the embassy) is related to progress on the political process, so it is still early," Adel Jubeir told a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Riyadh.

"Reconstruction cannot happen until the war is over and there are stability and security in Syria," Jubeir said, adding that it was also "too early" for Syria to be reinstated to the Arab League.