On Wednesday, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, announced that an Arab ministerial meeting will be held next month to discuss “the possibility of the return of Syria to the Arab League.” At the same time, King Abdullah II of Jordan emphasized his country’s keenness to support any effort to develop and institutionalize joint Arab action.
During his meeting with Aboul Gheit, Abdullah II discussed developments on events in the Arab region. He stressed the need to coordinate and unify the positions of Arab countries to meet various challenges, pointing out the importance of the role of the Arab League in this regard, al-Mamlaka TV reported.
“A meeting of Arab ministers will be held next month to discuss the possibility of Syria returning to the Arab League,” Aboul Gheit said in a press statement, noting that “the date of the next Arab summit to be held in Algeria has not yet been set.”
On January 22nd, the Special Adviser to the Presidency of the Republic, Luna al-Shibl, stated in an interview with Russian newspaper Izvestia that Syria is still a member of the Arab League. In November 2011, what happened is that the league suspended Syria’s participation in the organization’s activities. This was merely a freeze on Syria’s membership and fundamentally contrary to the league’s regulations. She explained that Damascus will return to the organization when the violation that took place has been retracted.
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The remarks from the King of Jordan and Aboul Gheit come a few days after a visit by the Foreign Minister of Oman, Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi, to Damascus. During the visit, Busaidi said: “Amongst Arab states, there have been strong efforts being made at present to reunify, clear the air, and correct mistakes of the past. The aim has been to take a more prospective view of relations geared towards joint Arab cooperation, solidarity, and overcoming the past with a promising future. These efforts engender optimism for the future. And we hope that these efforts will bear fruit and positive results that serve our peoples, our children, and generations both now and into the future.”
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi and Aboul Gheit held extensive talks on ways to activate mechanisms for joint Arab action and for addressing the latest developments on the Arab scene, Petra reported.
Safadi and Aboul Gheit stressed the need for concerted efforts to promote joint Arab action and activate the collective Arab state role in crisis resolution efforts, capable of achieving security and stability in the region.
Safadi stressed that the Arab League will remain the umbrella organization for joint Arab action, which requires work to strengthen and strengthen the league’s role. It is necessary to support the league constantly to increase its effectiveness, stressing Jordan’s commitment to supporting the League so that it receives all necessary support.
The talks reviewed the outcome of the consultative meeting of Arab foreign ministers—held a few days ago in Kuwait—as well as preparations for the upcoming Arab League summit. The talks also concerned efforts to find solutions to crises in Syria, Yemen, and Libya, while also supporting Iraq and Lebanon.
A source in charge of the Arab League’s Secretariat said: “Aboul Gheit was keen to hear the king’s vision of regional challenges and ways to deal with them.”
In his talks with Safadi, Aboul Gheit reviewed the state of collective Arab action in general at the current stage, stressing, in particular, the importance of stimulating the Arab presence in crisis countries, the source said.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
