The United Arab Emirates opened its embassy in Damascus Thursday for the first time in seven years.
The UAE closed the embassy in 2011, around the beginning of the Syrian civil war. According to Human Rights Watch, that conflict has left over 400,000 people dead.
The UAE's move is a bit surprising, considering it supported rebels fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. According to the UAE's foreign ministry, it reopened the embassy to help restore relations between the two countries, as well as to "prevent the dangers of regional interference in Syrian affairs."
The announcement comes just after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawalof all U.S. troops from Syria.
Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.
