In an emergency meeting held in Cairo in late November 2011, Arab foreign ministers suspended Syria’s membership in the Arab League, following the outbreak of the crisis in the country.
But the current stage in Syria on the security, economic and political levels has gone beyond the circumstances that emerged in 2011, which prompted many countries, led by the UAE, Algeria, Jordan and Iraq, to adopt the return of Syria to its vacant seat for a decade.
Algeria was at the top of those who had reservations about the decision to freeze Syria’s membership, and after Abdel Majid Tebboune assumed the presidency, he defended Syria’s return to the League of Arab States.
“Worth returning”
In a televised interview in 2020, Tebboune said that Syria “deserves to return to the League of Arab States, because it is faithful to its principles, as it is an institution for it, and it is one of the oldest Arab countries.”
Last August, the Algerian Foreign Minister, Ramtane Lamamra, said that Syria is an essential topic in the preparations for the upcoming Arab summit.
He stressed that Syria’s seat in the Arab League would be an advanced step in the process of reunification and overcoming internal difficulties.
He added, “There are those who believe that Syria’s return to the Arab League is positive, and Algeria is with this opinion, and there are those who believe that this return will increase division and sharpen differences.”
Important invitation and visit
In the same context, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, called for Syria’s return to its Arab surroundings.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed said in a press conference with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Abu Dhabi last March, that regional cooperation is necessary to start the path of Syria’s return to its surroundings, saying that this is an inevitable matter, and this also requires an effort from the Syrian side as it requires An effort by “colleagues in the Arab League”.
On Tuesday, the UAE foreign minister made a first-of-its-kind visit by a prominent Emirati official to Syria in 10 years, aimed at strengthening relations between the two countries.
Steps that analysts considered strong indicators of Syria’s return to the Arab League and a necessary step to block the way in front of external interventions that seriously damaged the Syrian file, considering it important to move forward in adopting these views and building on them.
Invitations and momentum is rising
In a televised interview at the end of last month, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said that there are rising Arab calls for Syria to return to occupy its seat in the League, and all this represents the beginning of momentum.
Aboul Gheit clarified that some Arab countries are opening up to Syria, adding: “But I personally, as Secretary-General, did not observe any official or unofficial request regarding the start of procedures for returning to fill the seat.”
On the return mechanism, he indicated that it is represented in the League’s Ministerial Council approval of a draft resolution that will be raised by the delegates and placed in front of the summit for approval, and so far, procedurally, it has not happened.
Regarding the possibility of a Syrian delegate attending the next summit, he said that this would happen if there was an “Arab consensus.”
Two prominent files
During the opening of the first symposium of heads of Algerian diplomatic and consular missions, at the Palais des Nations, two days ago, the Algerian president said that “the March summit is an opportunity to reform the League of States.”
The Algerian president made it clear that it will deal with two prominent files, the first of which is the renewal of the collective Arab commitment to the Palestinian cause, and the second, ways to reform the work system of the League of Arab States in order to face the current challenges.
The former Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister, Hussein Haridi, said that suspending Syria’s membership was not a right decision and it is time to correct this mistake.
Haridi added, in statements to “Sky News Arabia”, that the absence of Syria is considered an opponent of the influence of the Arab League, and its return will add greater credibility.
He made it clear that it is not right for there to be an Arab and regional effort to find a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis in the absence of Damascus. The positions must be logical and consistent with themselves. “We cannot implement Security Council Resolution 2254 without the participation of Syria.”
“A contradiction that must end”
He continued, “Syria can never be a member of the United Nations and its membership in the Arab League is suspended. This is a contradiction that must be put to an end by its return as soon as possible.”
On the possibility of her returning to the next summit, he revealed extensive diplomatic moves by a group of Arab countries, which he did not name, whether by sending envoys or exchanging messages with Arab leaders, and we hope that there will be Arab consensus for the return of Syria.
He pointed out that if an agreement is reached, the Syrian government will be contacted and invited to attend and hold the session, then the Secretary-General will recite what was agreed upon to vote and based on this, the Syrian delegate will be invited to participate and fill the vacant seat since 2011.
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