Professor of Political Science at Cairo University, Dr. Tariq Fahmy, confirmed that the Arab ministerial meeting yesterday (Sunday) represented an important step for Syria’s return to the League of Arab States once again, as an actual beginning to end the Arab crisis since its membership was suspended in 2011, indicating that Syria’s return to the arms of the Arabs seemed It is more evident since the meeting of the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Syria in the capital, Amman, and the previous exchange of visits in Riyadh, Cairo and Damascus by the foreign ministers of the three countries.
Fahmy told Okaz: Saudi Arabia and Egypt have an effective role in breaking the ice barrier with Syria, and the next Arab summit, which will be held in Riyadh on May 19, will be an inclusive summit, because all the affairs of the region and resolving its issues are moving in this direction, stressing that the Kingdom is with its Arab weight. The strategic one seeks Arab reunification, and is keen that no Arab country be outside the summit. The Sudanese crisis and finding solutions to it will be among the summit’s priorities, in addition to the Palestinian cause, the “first Arab cause.”
“Damascus, after the end of its crisis, will focus through its upcoming diplomacy on strengthening bilateral relations with Arab countries, forgetting the past and opening a new page in relations in light of regional and international changes,” added the political science professor at Cairo University.
For his part, the Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ambassador Hossam Zaki, revealed that Syria will be informed today (Monday) – at the latest – of its official return to the Arab League, after the Arab foreign ministers agreed during their emergency meeting yesterday, after its seat was vacant for 12 years. Stressing that with her decision to return, she will return to the exercise of her duties in the Arab League, starting with the nomination of a delegate to the university, and her participation in all activities at all levels.
Zaki said in his statements yesterday evening that “the decision to return Damascus to the Arab League had been in place for some time, and today it was decided by adopting it to open a new phase in dealing with the Syrian file.”
Regarding the situation in the Sudanese file, the Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States pointed out that the Sudanese crisis witnessed several interventions from regional and international parties, and everyone aimed to achieve their interests, referring to the formation of a ministerial contact group from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Secretary-General of the Arab League, to follow up on the political and negotiating part. And the human part.
It is noteworthy that the League of Arab States suspended Syria’s membership in 2011, after the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in March of the same year, and the seat remained vacant in all meetings except for the summit meeting in March 2013, when the seat was occupied at that time by the head of the opposition coalition, Moath al-Khatib, on behalf of the Syrian opposition.
