Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is set to make an official visit to Damascus on Friday, marking his first visit to Syria since Ahmad al-Sharaa assumed the presidency earlier this year, according to Palestinian Ambassador to Syria, Samir al-Rifai.

In a statement to Anadolu Agency on Thursday, al-Rifai confirmed that “President Abbas will meet his Syrian counterpart Ahmad al-Sharaa in an official setting in the Syrian capital,” noting that the visit will last only one day.

The meeting represents a continuation of the growing rapprochement between the two sides, following their initial encounter during the Arab emergency summit held in Cairo in March.

Earlier in January, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa also visited Damascus and met with President al-Sharaa, marking the first high-level Palestinian visit following the major political shift in Syria.