PARIS, France - Saudi Arabia has extended an official invitation to Syria to attend the Arab League Summit, which will be held in Jeddah on May 19th. The invitation was delivered by Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Jordan, Naif Al-Sudairi, to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday.
This is the first time that Syria has been invited to an Arab Summit since its membership in the Arab League was suspended in 2011, following the outbreak of the civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions more. The suspension was lifted last Sunday, after a majority of Arab states voted in favor of restoring Syria’s seat in the regional organization.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, al-Assad expressed his gratitude to King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for the invitation and affirmed that “the convening of the next Arab Summit in Saudi Arabia will enhance joint Arab action to achieve the aspirations of the Arab peoples’’. Al-Assad also asked Ambassador Al-Sudairi to convey his greetings and appreciation to the Saudi King.
The 32nd Arab League Summit is expected to address several issues facing the Arab world, including political, economic, and social challenges. It will also provide an opportunity for Arab leaders to discuss ways to enhance cooperation and coordination among Arab countries. The participation of al-Assad in the summit will also signal a step towards the reintegration of Syria into the Arab world and the resolution of the decade-long conflict that has devastated the country.
