The United States will send its ambassador back to Syria after a four-year absence, the White House and the State Department announced simultaneously on Wednesday.

The decision to return an ambassador to Syria was aimed at fulfilling President Barack Obama's promise to show more US engagement in the Arab world and not a response to any explicit policy change on Syria's part, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

"This strongly reflects the administration's recognition of the role Syria plays, and the hope of the role that the Syrian government can play constructively, to promote peace and stability in the region," Gibbs said.

In its announcement about the return an American ambassador to Syria, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters that " we are prepared to move forward with Syria to advance our interests through direct and continuing dialogue."

The United States has informed both the Syrian embassy in Washington and the Syrian Foreign Ministry in Damascus of "the administration's decision to return an ambassador to Syria," Kelly said.

The United States has been urging Syria to play a positive role in the Middle East, including to make efforts to stop anti-US militants and weapons from entering Iraq, and to promote peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

Washington has not had ambassador in Syria since 2005, when the Bush administration recalled Margaret Scobey to protest the 2005 assassination of Rafiq al-Hariri, the then Lebanese prime minister. Many accused Syria of being behind it, but Damascus has denied any role.

Acting Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey D. Feltman has made two visits to Syria since President Barack Obama took office in January, but until now there has been little indication of rapprochement between the two countries.

(Xinhua News Agency June 25, 2009)