Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Algeria requested further consultations to determine the date of the upcoming Arab Summit.
He affirmed that Arab foreign ministers will meet on March 9 to discuss Algeria’s proposed date.
Aboul Gheit’s remarks were made during an interview with state-owned al-Mamlaka television that was broadcast on Wednesday night, following his meetings with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.
In response to a question on whether Syria would participate in the summit, he said, “so far, it does not seem so.”
He said nothing will prevent Damascus from being reinstated if the Arab League member states agree on a specific approach and decide to discuss it with the Syrian government, given that it in turn responds to the proposed Arab positions.
The Arab League suspended Syria’s membership after the outbreak of the war in 2011. Several Arab states cut ties with Damascus, including the UAE, while others, including Jordan, maintained limited relations, except Oman.
Aboul Gheit said several Arab countries reject Syria’s reinstatement to the Arab League due to its unaltered positions.
He pointed out that other Arab parties want to know to what extent the Syrian government is willing to respond to their demands.
Asked whether he deems Syria’s readmission necessary, Aboul Gheit said the return of any Arab states empowers the League.
In response to a question on the reasons that prevent Syria from returning to the Arab League, Aboul Gheit said the organization is following the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254, which calls for a ceasefire and a political settlement in Syria.
The senior figure affirmed that the Arab States haven’t taken any actual step in this regard.
They are aware of the role played by foreign forces in Syria that contradict with Arab interests, he added, stressing that only Arabs get to determine reinstating Syria to the Arab League.
