Nepal, July 24 -- Saudi Arabia on Thursday signed major investment and partnership deals with Syria, valued at $6.4 billion, to help rebuild the war-ravaged country's infrastructure, telecommunications and other major sectors.

Saudi Arabia has been a major backer of the new Syrian government, which seized power after an Islamist-led offensive toppled longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December.

Speaking at the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum in the Damascus presidential palace, Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih announced "the signing of 47 agreements and memoranda of understanding... with a total value of nearly 24 billion Saudi riyals (around $6.4 billion)".

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