The preparatory meetings for the Arab Summit commenced on Sunday, in Jeddah. The meetings of the Economic and Social Council at the level of senior experts have begun. Syria has sent a large official and media delegation to participate in the preparatory meetings for the summit. The first delegation arrived on Saturday, and Economy Minister Mohammed Samer Khalil led the official economic and media delegation.
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Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Hossam Zaki, clarified that the Council of the League of Arab States’ decision to permit the participation of Syrian delegations in the meetings of the Arab League has no conditions. He emphasized that there are some desirable understandings that all parties should accept as a form of calm for the situation in Syria. He mentioned that the Amman Declaration, which was issued a few days ago, discussed several topics such as combating terrorism and drugs, the return of Syrian refugees to their country, and strengthening the political situation. These topics affect not only neighbouring countries but also the region as a whole. Therefore, the hope of the Arab League is that Syria’s return will allow the League to play a greater role in settling the situation in Syria, but it requires patience.
Zaki’s remarks came after U.S. lawmakers submitted a bill to confront rapprochements with Syria. The bill aims to strengthen Washington’s ability to impose sanctions as a warning to other countries that normalize relations with Syria.
However, most estimates suggest that the U.S. Congress cannot pass or ratify this “law.” This is due to the changing regional dynamics and the Arab countries’ desire to diversify their foreign alliances and reduce American influence over them.
In an article on the website of Al-Mayadeen TV, Leila Nicola, a professor of international relations at the Lebanese University, stated that “even if the sponsors of this bill manage to obtain a majority in Congress, this does not mean that Congress can impose it on the U.S. administration. The administration must balance populist considerations at home and U.S. interests abroad.”
She further elaborated, “Although the U.S. administration does not differ in its official stance on normalizing relations with Syria from the bill submitted to Congress, the Americans can no longer threaten printing countries (Arab countries and Turkey) with sanctions. This is due to global developments after the Ukrainian war and China’s entry as a key player in the region.”
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.
