Arab League Hails Syria’s Return to Meetings Ahead of Jeddah Summit as ‘a New Phase’ in Arab World

Ahead of the second day of the Arab Economic and Social Council meetings in Jeddah on Tuesday, Hossam Zaki, the assistant secretary general of the Arab League, made a statement to the representatives and senior officials of the member states in attendance.

Zaki stated that a speech was delivered today in the name of the Secretary-General of the Arab League, which welcomed Syria, thus opening a new chapter in the Arab circumstances and providing advantages to all countries.

He was keen to emphasize that the meetings should focus on topics that are relevant to Arab citizens and their current situation. “We haven’t quite reached full economic integration yet, but we have made some positive strides in this direction,” he said.

Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ayman Sousan chaired the delegation that attended the second preparatory meeting of the Arab summit on Tuesday, May 19 in Jeddah.

At the Arab Economic and Social Council meetings, members are exploring various methods to foster collective Arab efforts in order to reach sustainable development goals, in addition to other social and economic matters of importance to the Arab nations.

Hamid Chabeira, the Algerian ambassador in Cairo and permanent representative in the Arab League, expressed his welcome of the Syrian delegation’s presence at the meetings, emphasizing the need for unity and solidarity among the Arab nations.

Abdul Rahman al-Rasi, the Undersecretary of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs for International Affairs, expressed his delight at the Syrian delegation attending the meetings and wished them success.

He remarked that Saudi Arabia extended its hand to the brothers out of its conviction in the significance of collective Arab action, and further stated that they will persist in striving to keep track of this issue and reignite the Arab League process.

On May 7, all 13 of the 22 member states in attendance at the session in Cairo voted in favor of readmitting Syria to the Arab League after a 12-year suspension.

In November 2011, as foreign-backed militancy began in Syria, the Arab League suspended the membership of the country, one of its founding members. Syria denounced the decision as “illegal and a violation of the organization’s charter.”

In March, Riyadh and Damascus reached an agreement to re-establish diplomatic relations and open embassies again after over a decade apart, which prompted other Arab countries to move quickly to restore their ties with Syria.