China's Special Envoy to Visit Damascus on Saturday - Syrian FM Source

DAMASCUS (Sputnik) - China's Special Envoy for the Middle East Zhai Jun is expected to visit the Syrian capital, Damascus, on April 29, a source at the Syrian Foreign Ministry told Sputnik on Thursday.

"The Chinese government's special envoy for the Middle East, Zhai Jun, will arrive in Damascus the day after tomorrow on Saturday [April 29]. Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad will meet with the Chinese envoy," the source said.

Syrian President Bashar Assad is also expected to hold a meeting with the Chinese special envoy, the source added.

The visit comes following the recent talks in Moscow between the defense ministers of Turkiye, Russia, Syria and Iran to promote a political solution to the Syrian conflict. The participants reaffirmed their desire to preserve the territorial integrity of Syria and intensify efforts for the speedy return of Syrian refugees.

At the same time, Beijing has recently intensified its peacekeeping efforts in the region. In early March, China hosted landmark talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran, in which the two states agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies in short order.

On Tuesday, senior Chinese diplomats met with their Russian counterparts in South Africa and reiterated the two countries' commitment in coordinating efforts to resolve conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa.