Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is the site of the May 17-19 Arab League summit, which, for the first time in 12 years, is welcoming Syria’s participation as a full member. At the May 17 meeting of foreign ministers, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf handed over the League’s rotating presidency to his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan. The foreign ministers are charged with discussing the agenda and drafting resolutions for the May 19 heads-of-state summit.
According to Al Arabiya, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad attended the foreign ministers meeting with a large delegation and also confirmed that President Bashir al-Assad will attend Friday’s heads-of-state summit. Speaking to Saudi al-Ekhbariya state television, Mekdad expressed gratitude to the Saudis for the role they have played in planning for this meeting and “embracing all Arab countries.”
In his remarks, Prince Faisal welcomed Syria’s delegation. He stressed the need for unity among Arab countries “to face and find solutions to these challenges so that our region can be safe and stable.” One of those challenges is the ongoing conflict in Sudan. Countries must put aside their differences while rejecting foreign interference in their internal affairs, he said. There are both great human potential and natural resources in the region, he added, and this should prompt Arab countries to coordinate among themselves. What should be devised, he said, are “new mechanisms…with people’s interest in sight.”
Along the same lines, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf emphasized that Arab nations must join ranks to overcome obstacles. “We seek at the Arab summit to unite [positions] to face the challenges we are witnessing,” he said. Global transformations will change the balance of power, he warned, and this requires Arab countries “to come together to move forward as these changes unfold.”
During the opening session of the League meeting, Syrian Economy and Foreign Trade Minister Mohammed Samer al-Khalil took the opportunity to invite other members to invest in Syria, which is in urgent need of investment and funds for reconstruction. The U.S. and West’s savage sanctions are still in place, which are an obstacle, and the U.S. has announced that it will not aid Syria’s reconstruction in any way. But with the “new mechanisms” Prince Faisal mentioned, and with discussion underway for trade in national currencies and de-dollarization, new options may open up for financing and investment..
There is not total unanimity toward Syria at the summit. Qatar and Kuwait have not yet normalized relations with Syria, demanding that it first make greater political concessions. According to National Public Radio, Sudan’s military leader, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, will not attend the summit but will send one of his cabinet officials. UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed will not attend but will send his brother, Vice President Mansour bin Zayed. This is reportedly due to rivalry and tensions with the Saudi Crown Prince.
