European Union (EU) foreign policy advisor Javier Solana's meeting with Syrian officials in Damascus Wednesday brings the country out of a international isolation since 2005, when former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated. Syria has been widely blamed for being behind the murder.

Solana was able to make the visit after France removed its objections. His trip follows a visit to Damascus earlier this week by Assistant Secretary of State Ellen Sauerbrey.

Solana spoke with Saudi Arabian King Abdullah II on Tuesday and emphasized the importance of the oil-rich kingdom, which one diplomat said "cannot be bypassed in the region, especially concerning Lebanon."