Algeria: Syria prefers not to discuss its return to the Arab League during the summit

Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra announced that Syria prefers not to propose its return to the League of Arab States during the Algiers Summit, in order to unite the Arab ranks in the face of challenges.

The Algerian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Lamamra had made a phone call with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad, and that "among the issues discussed on this occasion is the issue of the Syrian Arab Republic's relationship with the League of Arab States."

The statement added that Miqdad affirmed that Damascus prefers not to raise the issue of resuming its seat in the League of Arab States during the November summit, in order to contribute to unifying the Arab word and ranks in the face of the challenges posed by the current situation at the regional and international levels, according to the statement.

The last regular summit of the League of Arab States at the level of leaders was held in March 2019 in Tunisia, where the 2020 and 2021 editions were postponed due to the Corona epidemic.

Last August 5, Algeria confirmed that its support for the Syrian regime's return to its seat in the League of Arab States would not be at the expense of the Arab consensus, which it wants to achieve at the possible limit during the summit.

Algerian President Abdel Majid Tebboune - in a television interview - reiterated his assertion of Syria's eligibility for its seat at the university as a "founding member of the commission", but revealed that the final decision on whether to return or not has not yet been decided.

Lamamra's visit to Damascus last July 25, as part of a tour that also led him to Iraq, received many interpretations related to Algeria's support for the Syrian regime since the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in 2011.

In November 2011, the League decided to freeze Syria's membership, against the background of the regime of Bashar al-Assad resorting to the military option to quell a popular revolution against his rule.

Last January, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said that the issue of Syria's return to the League was not raised during the Arab consultative ministerial meeting held at the time in Kuwait.

He added that the issue of the return of any country to participate in the League is preceded by consultations, ideas, a proposal for a draft resolution, and consideration of what is required from the Syrian side, and this has not yet been reached.