RABAT - Moroccan King Mohammed VI on Saturday announced the decision to reopen the embassy in Damascus, the official MAP news agency reported.

In a speech read out by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita during the 34th Arab League Summit that kicked off in Baghdad, Iraq, the King described the move as "opening up broader prospects for the historical bilateral relations" between the two countries and peoples.

Morocco closed its embassy in Damascus in 2012 after the country's civil conflict began.

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In a press statement following talks with Bourita, Syria's foreign affairs chief Asaad Al-Shaibani conveyed "thanks and gratitude" on Saturday for Morocco's decision to reopen its embassy in Damascus.

Bourita announced that a technical delegation will visit Syria next week to assess preparations for the embassy's reopening. Al-Shaibani also announced the dispatch of a technical team to open the Syrian embassy in Rabat, MAP reported.