Op-ed: Why should Arabs re-embrace Syria?

The call of the Emirati Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, regarding the need for Syria to restore its seat in the Arab League, has aroused outstanding interest at a time when the region suffers from a turbulent situation, amid the continuing Iranian and Turkish interventions.

Diplomats and political analysts said that the Emirati initiative to return Syria to its Arab surroundings comes at “on time” to hinder foreign interventions that have seriously harmed the Syrian file.

[caption id="attachment_84509" align="aligncenter" width="642"] Arab League Headquarters[/caption]

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed said Tuesday in a press conference held with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Abu Dhabi, that the return of Damascus to the Arab League requires some efforts from the Syrian side as well as from other Arab countries too.

The matter is related to the public interest, the interest of Damascus, and the interest of the region, pointing out that there are "disturbances" between the various parties.

The timing of the Emirati call for the return of Syria to the Arab League is ideal for the complexity of the situation in the Middle East and the threats facing Arab security, and therefore it is important to bring the Arabs together so that they can face these challenges from the "Arab-Arab" grounds.

The statements of the Emirati Foreign Minister are a clear signal to the international community, that Syria should return to its Arab entity.

In an emergency meeting held in Cairo in late November 2011, Arab foreign ministers suspended Damascus's membership in the League until the government commits to implementing the terms of the Arab initiative.

A few days ago, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry considered that the return of Damascus to the Arab Incubator is "a vital matter in order to maintain Arab national security."

In late 2015, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution calling for a ceasefire and a political settlement to the situation in Syria.

In my opinion, Syria's return to the Arab League will preserve the regional security equation for all Arab countries. The region needs reuniting and addressing the surrounding crises.

The Arabs are capable of undertaking the reconstruction operations in Syria and assisting the Syrian state in building future life, political rehabilitation, and drafting the constitution, in order to preserve regional security in the region.

This article was prepared by Nawal Sayed in her personal capacity. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of SEE or its members.