Syria was expelled from the Arab League in 2011 as a result of the civil war. Syria’s ruler Assad can now look back on a meeting in Jordan as a success in his attempts at rapprochement.
For Syria’s internationally isolated President Bashar al-Assad, there is another win in efforts to normalize relations with regional Arab neighbors. The foreign ministers of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iraq met with their Syrian counterpart Faisal al-Mekdad in Amman. It was about the Syrian conflict and a normalization of relations with the Assad government, as the Jordanian Foreign Ministry announced.
At the meeting with the Syrian foreign minister, very clear and honest words were found, said Jordanian foreign minister Aiman al-Safadi. “This meeting is the beginning of an Arab-led political path to achieve a solution to the crisis.”
Arab League meeting in Saudi Arabia
After the uprisings against Assad in 2011, which culminated in a civil war, the country was excluded from the Arab League and politically isolated. In recent years, however, Assad has reconsolidated control over most of his territory, and the Arab states have gradually drawn closer again – led by Saudi Arabia, which had supported Assad’s opponents in the civil war.
In April, a Saudi foreign minister visited Syria for the first time. An Arab League meeting is taking place in Saudi Arabia this month that could lay the groundwork for Syria’s resumption – or even full resumption. However, there is still some resistance, especially from Qatar. When asked, Jordan’s Foreign Minister al-Safadi did not want to comment on when Syria could be resumed. That would have to be decided by the member states.