Deputy spokesperson for the US State Department, Vedant Patel, affirmed on 20 April that Washington believes Syria should not be allowed to be readmitted into the Arab League, despite several West Asian countries currently in the process of normalizing relations with Damascus following the Iran-Saudi reconciliation.
Patel said during a press conference: “We do not believe Syria deserves to be readmitted to the Arab League at this time.”
He further added that the US will refrain from normalizing relations with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government until it commits to “real progress” in resolving Syria’s conflicts, such as improving humanitarian conditions.
The Arab League is a regional organization in the Arab part of the World, including several nations in West Asia and North, West, and East Africa, which strives to establish closer relations amongst these nations, as well as promote regional coordination, to ensure independence and the maintenance of their sovereignty.
The Arab League consists of 22 nations, with the league’s next summit set to take place in May in Riyadh. Syria was suspended from the league in November 2011, as many members such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, sought to isolate and cripple Assad’s government since the start of the US-backed war against Damascus.
These remarks made by Patel come a few days after the Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, met with Assad in Damascus to discuss establishing relations between Riyadh and Damascus.
According to Reuters, Foreign Minister bin Farhan’s visit “is the most significant step yet towards ending Syria’s decade-long regional isolation, and at a time of wider rapprochement in the region.” There has also been speculation of whether the kingdom will allow Syria to resume its position in the Arab League following bilateral talks.
Tunisia and Syria have also agreed to bolster bilateral cooperation, while for months Abu Dhabi and Syria have engaged in talks to restore diplomacy after over a decade of estrangement.
However, at least four members of the Arab League – Morocco, Qatar, Kuwait, and Egypt – plus the Saudi-appointed parallel government in southern Yemen are opposed to Syria’s expected to return to the Arab League, according to unnamed Arab officials that spoke with the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).