On Tuesday, May 9th, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, Sameh Shoukry, confirmed that the return of the Syrian regime to the Arab League does not qualify for full normalization with it, and raising the level of representation, but it is a first step to creating understanding and measures to increase confidence.
This came in an interview with the Egyptian journalist, Ahmed Moussa, on the “Sada Al-Balad” channel, which was broadcast and recorded on Tuesday, two days after the Arab League Council at the ministerial level, headed by Shoukry, issued a decision to return Damascus to its frozen seat since 2011.
Concerning the American position on Syria’s refusal to return to the League, Shoukry replied, “Everyone resides as he pleases, but in the first place, this is an Arab issue and an Arab country that has been subjected to a decade of internal conflict (…) and we must look for a solution for it.”
“Syria’s return (to its seat) to the League does not qualify for full normalization with its government, and raising the level of representation, but it is a first step to creating a vision, understanding, and measures that increase confidence, and we are on the right path,” Shoukry said.
He added, “This is an Arab issue that must be focused on and that the Arab countries should interact with it, within the framework of encouraging the Syrian government to take corresponding steps and steps (from us as Arabs) that recognize the achievement that has been made.”
He stressed that “those steps (with Syria) will be evaluated and the extent of progress will be announced.”
In response to a question, considering that they are considered “conditions” in Syria, Shoukry replied: “They are not conditions. Rather, this is a sovereign matter that belongs to the Syrian government, which bears responsibility for the importance of positive interaction (with Arab steps and international resolutions).”
And last Sunday, the Arab foreign ministers decided to resume the participation of delegations of the Syrian government in the meetings of the Council of the League of Arab States and all its affiliated organizations and agencies, starting from the day the decision was announced.
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.
