Jordan is set to convene a gathering of Arab foreign ministers, including Syria’s leading diplomat, on Monday to explore the possibility of Syria rejoining the Arab League and to facilitate a comprehensive political resolution to the longstanding Syrian conflict, according to officials.
Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad and representatives from Egypt, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia will attend the meeting to consider a Jordanian proposal to achieve a political resolution to the ongoing strife. This comes after discussions held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, involving the Gulf Cooperation Council, Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq, could not reach a consensus on Syria’s potential readmission into the Arab community.
This marks the first meeting with a high-ranking Syrian official and a group of Arab nations, most of whom supported suspending Syria’s Arab League membership in 2011. This suspension occurred after the government’s violent suppression of protesters condemning President Bashar al-Assad’s autocratic regime spiraled into a catastrophic civil war.
As Arab nations and those most impacted by the conflict work towards a consensus on whether to invite Assad to the Arab League summit in Riyadh on May 19, discussions will focus on the speed of reestablishing relations with Assad and the conditions under which Syria could be readmitted.
The Jordanian plan urges Damascus to collaborate with Arab governments on a gradual strategy to end the conflict, addressing issues such as refugees, missing detainees, drug trafficking between Syria and the Gulf, and Iranian militias in Syria.
Although Saudi Arabia, a regional powerhouse, has hesitated to normalize ties with Assad, the country acknowledged the need for a new strategy with Damascus following its reconciliation with Iran, a key regional ally of Syria. However, at the Jeddah meeting, Qatar, Jordan, and Kuwait expressed that it would be premature to invite Assad to the Arab League summit before Damascus agreed to negotiate a peace plan.
