Diplomatic experts have confirmed that Syria’s return to the Arab League is one of the biggest obstacles to determining the date of the next summit of the Arab League in Algeria.
Algeria has previously confirmed through both the President of the Republic and the Minister of Foreign Affairs that Syria is a founding member of the Arab League and it has a natural place within its seats. However, there has been no Arab consensus on the need for Syria to return to its seat in the Arab League.
In this context, Dr. Hassan Abu Taleb, Advisor to the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said: “Holding the summit on its proposed date is very difficult, as a result of the great differences on how to deal with Syria. Algeria seeks to lift the embargo on it, there is no Arab consensus on this issue, nor even a tendency to discuss the matter at the next summit.”
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Former Assistant Foreign Minister of Egypt Ambassador Hussein Haridi pointed to the need to hold the summit as soon as possible, saying: “It has been so long since the last periodic summit. The Arab world has witnessed large and multiple developments at the level of the Middle East, which requires its convening so that Arab leaders agree on ways to deal with it.” He added: “Failure to hold the summit on its announced date will send an undesirable message to regional and international powers, that there is no common Arab will to deal with regional developments, as well as international and critical situations –financially and politically.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has stressed that his country is striving with all its forces to make Syria’s return to the Arab League a success. He noted that “Syria’s presence at the summit was the subject of consultation among Arab countries. From a legal point of view, Syria is one of the founding countries of the Arab League, and its presence at the summit will be very normal. Politically, however, there are still some differences.”
Al-Akhbar newspaper has previously quoted its sources as saying that there are expectations that Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, and even Russia, which is pushing in the same direction, will intensify their movements over the next three months in an attempt to find consensus that will allow Syria to be invited to the summit. This issue remains the subject of many doubts in light of the increasing pressure imposed by Washington on the one hand, and by Doha on the other.
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.
