News / Syria

Syria’s position in Arab League needs to be restored, Russia says

Tuesday, 11 December 2018 6:26 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 11 December 2018 6:50 PM ]

This picture taken on September 11, 2018 shows a general view of the foreign ministerial meeting of Arab League in the Egyptian capital city of Cairo. (Photo by AFP)

Head of the Russian National Defense Management Center, Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, says Syria should rejoin the Arab League in order to help support the process of a political solution to the ongoing crisis, and push refugees toward returning home.

“The restoration of Syria’s position on the global scene, in particular its membership in the Arab League is an extremely important issue,” Mizintsev said in Moscow on Tuesday.

He added, “It will serve as a convincing signal for the international community about the return of the country to peaceful life and the promotion of the process of the political settlement of the crisis, as well as push refugees toward making positive decisions on return to their homes.”

Mizintsev then asked Russian diplomats to place the issue under special control.

Almost 300,000 refugees have recently returned to Syria, bringing the total number of Syrians who have repatriated to more than 1.55 million, the Russian official pointed out.

The Arab League suspended Syria's membership in November 2011, citing alleged crackdown by Damascus on opposition protests. Syria has denounced the move as "illegal and a violation of the organization’s charter.”

On September 24, 2017, Algerian Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel urged Syria’s return to the Arab League.

Former Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Ja'afari called on the Arab League to end its suspension of Syria’s membership in the 22-member pan-Arab body on March 7 last year, stressing that Arabs should reach a consensus on resolving the Syria crisis.

Speaking in an address to a meeting of foreign ministers from the regional organization in the Egyptian capital city of Cairo, Ja’afari said Syria’s absence from the Arab League could not be tolerated anymore.

Arab League does not only represent Arab governments, but also Arab nations and thus should bring an end to the Syria conflict, he pointed out.

Any weakening of an Arab country is tantamount to the weakening of all Arabs, the Iraqi diplomat said, emphasizing that if Arabs cannot unite on Syria, they can at least agree on settling the crisis there.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups wreaking havoc in the country.

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