Arab Foreign Ministers Reintegrate Syria into the Arab League: A Step towards Resolving the Syrian Crisis

He stressed that the decision does not mean the resumption of relations between Arab countries and Syria, because it is up to each country to decide according to its vision.

Jamal Rushdi, a spokesman for the League of Arab States, told the BBC that the Arab foreign ministers decided at their meeting today in Cairo to lift the freeze imposed on Syria’s membership in the Arab League since 2011. During the meeting, it was emphasized that practical and effective steps should be taken to gradually resolve the crisis, according to the statement. The principle of step by step and in accordance with Security Council Resolution No. 2254, starting with the continuation of steps that allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to all those in need in Syria, including in accordance with the mechanisms approved in the relevant Security Council resolutions.

And the formation of a ministerial contact committee consisting of “Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt and the Secretary-General,” to follow up on the implementation of the Amman Declaration, and to continue direct dialogue with the Syrian government to reach a comprehensive solution to the Syrian crisis that addresses all its consequences, according to the step-by-step methodology, and in line with Security Council Resolution No. 2254, and the committee submits periodic reports to the University Council at the ministerial level.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said, in a statement, that it had received the League’s decision with “great interest” and called for “greater Arab cooperation and partnership.”

Syria was suspended from the 22-member Arab League in 2011 after a crackdown on pro-democracy street protests against the Assad regime led to a devastating civil war in Syria, prompting many Arab countries to withdraw their envoys from Damascus. .

There has been an improvement in relations recently between Damascus and other Arab governments in the region. The foreign ministers of Egypt and Saudi Arabia recently visited Syria, although some countries, including Qatar, still oppose full normalization without a political solution to the Syrian conflict. Last month, Damascus restored full diplomatic relations with Tunisia.

Some analysts believe that the visit by Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi to the Syrian capital, Damascus, a few days ago, put additional pressure on Arab countries to return Syria to the Arab League.

Arab foreign ministers held an emergency meeting at the headquarters of the League of Arab States in Cairo to discuss developments in the Sudanese crisis and the possibility of Syria returning to occupy its vacant seat at the university.

The meeting comes less than two weeks before the date of the next Arab summit to be hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on May 19.

The Arab League spokesman, Jamal Rushdi, had said earlier that the Arab League is expected to restore Syria’s membership again at the meeting of foreign ministers on Sunday, in the framework of strengthening regional efforts to normalize relations with President Bashar al-Assad.

Rushdi added that it is expected that at the meeting, which will be held at the invitation of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq, the decision will be adopted in a closed meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the headquarters of the League of Arab States in Cairo.

Arab countries are trying to reach a consensus on inviting Assad to attend the Arab League summit on May 19 in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to discuss the pace of normalization of relations, as well as the conditions by which Syria can be allowed to return to the League.

On the mechanism used for Syria’s return to the League, Rushdi said, “Issues in the Arab League are taken by consensus, and if consensus is not possible, voting is resorted to in limited cases,” indicating that the basis for the issue is crystallizing an Arab consensus, even if one or two countries do not agree. or “reservations” on the decision.

Syria’s membership in the League was suspended during an emergency meeting it called at the level of foreign ministers in November 2011, with the approval of 18 countries, and three countries, namely Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, objected, and Iraq abstained from voting at the time.

And Assad began to regain control of the country in 2015, with Russia’s help — prompting Beijing to rethink its future relations with Syria with Assad in place.