The Arab foreign ministers have agreed on the necessity to intensify efforts “to help Syria out of its crisis”, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
Arab foreign ministers decided in an Arab League (AL) extraordinary meeting held in Cairo on Sunday to restore Syria’s membership in the league after 12 years of suspension, said a final statement after the meeting.
The AL council meeting at the ministerial level decided to resume “the participation of delegations of the government of Syria in the meetings of the AL council and all its organizations and bodies as of May 7, 2023,” read the statement issued by the pan-Arab organization.
The Arab foreign ministers also agreed on the necessity to intensify efforts “to help Syria out of its crisis.”
Assad dials MBZ
President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received a phone call yesterday evening from President Bashar al-Assad of the Arab Republic of Syria.
During the call, the two leaders discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to develop them further.
President al-Assad expressed Syria’s appreciation for the UAE’s role in strengthening relations and enhancing cooperation between Arab nations, for the benefit of those countries and their people.
‘A step in the right direction’
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Sunday said the Arab League (AL)’s decision to restore Syria’s membership in the league is a step in the right direction to a unified Arab stance.
“This decision was delayed for years, but it is a step in the right direction towards a return to Arab righteousness,” Berri said in a statement released by the National News Agency.
He added: “With the return of Syria to the Arabs and the return of the Arabs to Syria, there is a glimmer of hope for a new resurrection of joint Arab action.”
Meanwhile, caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said “Lebanon was among the first to call for Syria’s return to the Arab League, and it was against suspending its membership.”
Arab foreign ministers decided in an AL extraordinary meeting held in Cairo on Sunday to restore Syria’s membership in the league after 12 years of suspension.
‘Qatar’s stance unchanged’
Qatar said its position regarding normalising ties with Syria remains unchanged, Qatar’s foreign ministry said on Sunday.
In a statement carried by the QNA, Majed bin Mohammad Al Ansari, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that Qatar always seeks to support achieving Arab consensus and will not be an obstacle to that.
Yet he said the official position of Qatar on normalization with “the Syrian regime” is a decision linked primarily to progress in the political solution that fulfills the aspirations of the Syrian people.
Qatar will “work with the Arab brothers in achieving the aspirations of the Syrian people … and for this consensus to be a motive for the Syrian regime to address the roots of the crisis,” he said.
Al Ansari also reaffirmed Qatar’s support for all regional and international efforts to find a comprehensive and just solution to the crisis that respects Syria’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Qatar has recently ruled out all chances of joining the regional reconciliation wave with Syria.
AL ministerial panel for Sudan
The Arab League Council issued a resolution to form an Arab ministerial contact group to communicate with the Sudanese parties and influential countries, aiming to reach a settlement of the crisis in Sudan.
The resolution, made during the Council’s emergency meeting in the Egyptian capital Cairo, is meant to intensify Arab efforts to find a peaceful solution to the current conflict in Sudan between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that erupted in mid-April.
Under the resolution, the contact group would include representatives from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the Arab League, according to an Arab League statement.
The contact group will hold communication with the Sudanese parties, influential countries regionally and internationally as well as relevant international organizations, according to the statement.
The committee aims to reach a complete and sustainable ceasefire in Sudan and address the causes of the crisis.
It will further coordinate with international relief organizations to provide urgent humanitarian and medical support to citizens and displaced persons inside Sudan.
The group will also work to help those taking refuge in neighboring countries.
The Council also stressed the need to fully respect Sudan’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and not to interfere in its internal affairs to avoid fueling conflict and threatening regional peace and security.
