32nd Arab Summit concludes with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s First Appearance since 2010

He also welcomed the signing of the Jeddah Declaration by the two parties to the conflict in Sudan, and said he hoped that this would lead to a permanent ceasefire in Sudan.

On Friday, Ukrainian President Zelensky arrived in Saudi Arabia for the summit, which is also attended by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Russia’s close ally, for the first time in 12 years.

The previously unannounced visit is Zelensky’s first to the Middle East since Moscow’s invasion of his country in February 2022, giving the Ukrainian leader an opportunity to address leaders in the region who have been far less united in their support for Kiev than the Western allies.

Zelensky is then expected to travel to Japan for a meeting of the Group of Seven.

Zelensky told the summit that his country “will not surrender and will not submit to any foreign occupier,” calling on Arab leaders to “protect our people and the Ukrainian Muslim community.”

Zelensky said that his country did not choose war and did not engage in any hostilities on the territory of other countries, and continued, “We are forced to continue fighting, and no one agrees to surrender his land.”

Zelensky arrived in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, one day after Assad’s arrival.

The Arab Group suspended Syria 12 years ago, after his government’s crackdown on pro-democracy protests sparked a civil war in which half a million people died.

Syria’s membership in the League was restored this month, after countries that had supported the opposition during the war acknowledged that it was tightening its grip on power.

This rapprochement accelerated in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and northwestern Syria last February, when forces previously hostile to Assad decided to send humanitarian aid to areas controlled by the Syrian government.

China also brokered a surprise agreement in March for Saudi Arabia to restore diplomatic relations with its regional rival Iran, which, along with Russia, has helped the Syrian army regain control of Syria’s largest city.

However, large parts of the country remain under the control of Turkey-backed armed groups, Islamist organizations, and US-backed Kurdish-led groups.

Half of Syria’s population of 22 million before the war was forced to flee their homes. Some 6.8 million people are internally displaced, while another six million are refugees or asylum-seekers abroad.

Even before the earthquake, an estimated 15.3 million people inside Syria were in need of some form of humanitarian assistance, the highest level since the war began.

Al-Assad arrived Thursday evening in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, where the Arab League summit is taking place this year.

And the Secretary-General of the League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, announced at a meeting of the foreign ministers of the 22 member states, on Wednesday, that he hopes that “Syria’s restoration of its seat will be a prelude to the end of its conflict.”

The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, also welcomed the return of Syria.

He said, “Our world today faces many challenges and difficulties that put us at a crossroads.” He added, “It is necessary for us to stand together and try hard to strengthen joint Arab action to confront it.”

However, not all League countries were enthusiastic about the return of Syria. Some Syrians who fled their country also oppose the move.

The Qatari foreign minister said, in a press conference in Doha, that his country had abandoned its opposition to Syria’s return to the League because it did not want to “deviate from the Arab consensus.”

Meanwhile, the United States said it “does not believe that Syria deserves to return to the Arab League.”

“Our position is clear … we will not normalize relations with the Assad regime and we certainly do not support others doing so either,” foreign ministry spokesman Vedant Patil told a news conference.