Syria To Return To Arab League In Case Of Arab States' Consensus - Secretary General

Syria could return to the Arab League if all other Arab states give their consent to that, Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said on Thursday after the meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun

BEIRUT (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th January, 2019) Syria could return to the Arab League if all other Arab states give their consent to that, Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said on Thursday after the meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun.

"It will not be difficult for Syria as a founder state [of the Arab League] to include the issue [of reinstatement] to the agenda of the Arab intergovernmental council if there is a pan-Arabic consensus and there are no objections. If the Arab states reach consensus on calling Syria to return to its seat, we, on behalf of Secretariat, are ready to give it such an opportunity," Gheit said.

Earlier in the day, Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdulkarim Ali said that Damascus had received an invitation to take part in the League's economic summit on January 19-20 and refused to do that.

The Arab League suspended Syria's membership in 2011 after the war in the country broke out. Member states then recalled their ambassadors from the country. However, the Arab countries are now making steps to re-establish diplomatic ties with Damascus.