RIYADH, Aug 17: In a rare public rebuttal to a recent statement by Syrian Vice President Farouq Al-Sharaa, Saudi Arabia has lashed out at Damascus, accusing its leaders of “spreading chaos and instability” in the Arab world.

The strongly worded statement, quoting an unnamed official and carried by the Saudi press agency, brought, for the first time into public domain the ongoing two-year old simmering tension between the two Arab heavyweights.

Al Sharaa, during a lecture in Damascus earlier this week, blasted what he called “the paralysis” in the Saudi foreign policy establishment. He was responding to a question about the increasingly deteriorating relationship between Riyadh and Damascus. According to the Syrian vice-president, considered a hawk within the Syrian establishment, Saudi officials have in recent months repeatedly refused to meet Syrian officials to discuss and resolve the issues, hinting that the United States might have vetoed those initiatives.

“Saudi Arabia has nothing to do with the problems in the relationship between the two countries and Mr Al Sharaa knows that because he is one of the reasons,” the Saudi statement said.

“Any talk about a paralysis in the role of Saudi Arabia in the Arab and Muslim world cannot come from a rational or a sensible person. Perhaps Mr Al Sharaa was talking about his own (regime’s) policies.”

The statement emphasised: “Saudi Arabia has never refused any meeting aimed at benefiting Arab interests. We don’t have any problem with any party but the problem lies with those who spread chaos and instability in the region and who work against the interests of the Arab nation.”