Syria accepts conditions to return to the Arab League almost 12 years later
With calm restored in Syria, the Arab League, which decided to meet urgently, has put an end to Syria's isolation after almost 12 years of uncertainty, indecision and insecurity. The reunification of the Arab world needed such a decision. Although the conditions for Damascus' acceptance into the League were not to Bashar al-Assad's liking, the head of state agreed for the sake of his country first and the stability of the region second.
Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and ArabLeague Assistant Secretary General Hossam Zaki chaired the Arab League committee at its headquarters in Cairo. At the meeting, member countries were represented by delegations led by Foreign Ministers. After the meeting, the attendees issued a communiqué stating that Syria will be part of the meetings and will participate in the decisions of the House.
Despite the agreements, the Secretary General declared that "this step forward did not ensure that Damascus would have 'normalised relations' with all member countries". At the next commission on 19 May, Syria will make its debut as a member of the League since it was expelled on 12 November 2011.
Moreover, according to Aboul Gheit, the restoration of Syria's membership did not imply that all Arab nations' bilateral ties with Damascus had become friendlier. "The Syrian crisis has not been resolved, he insisted, on the contrary. However, it allows communication between Arab (states) and the Syrian government to address all problems for the first time in years."
Syria's return to the body was "the starting point, it is not the end of the problem", he continued, noting that it was up to individual nations to decide whether to resume relations with Damascus. Arab statements issued after meetings in Jeddah on 14 April and Amman on 1 May 2023 were warmly received by the Council of the League of Arab States.
The Council also decided to establish a ministerial committee composed of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt and the League's secretary general to monitor the implementation of the Amman Declaration, which calls for a "step-by-step" resolution to the Syrian crisis.
Assad last participated in an Arab League summit in 2010. According to Syria's SANA news agency, Hussein Arnous, Syria's Prime Minister, said on Sunday that they had endured 12 years of "disinformation and distortion campaigns launched by our enemies". The discussions on Sunday, he said, manifested Syria's "pre-eminent position" both domestically and internationally. The Syrian Foreign Ministry called for "Arab cooperation" and "an effective and constructive Arab approach, based on communication, mutual respect and shared Arab interests".
For years, Syria has been subject to crippling Western sanctions. The most notable of these was the US Caesar Act in 2019, which imposed broad restrictions on individuals, companies or governments from engaging in economic activities that support Assad's war effort. It made the entire economy untouchable. According to the UN, Syrians are currently experiencing unprecedented levels of poverty and food insecurity. The World Food Programme predicts that more than 12 million Syrians, or more than half of the country's population, will be food insecure by 2022.
In 2013, opposition leaders attended the group's summit in Doha, prompting a furious response from Damascus. Analyst Fabrice Balanche described Sunday's decision to ArabNews as a "diplomatic victory" for Assad, adding that "Syria's regional isolation is officially broken". Days after Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad made his first trip to Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan made Saudi Arabia's first official visit to Damascus since the war began in April.
Details that show the good faith of Arab nations in seeking the right relations with the Syrian regime. However, a photo of Assad with European leaders will have to wait, as it would be a gesture that would shatter the entire Western narrative of the last decade.
