The 32nd Arab summit in Jeddah has quickly established itself as an unfogettable, consequential edition, after Syrian President Bashar Al Assad saw his country re-join the organization following a 12-year hiatus from the Arab diplomatic scene.
President Bashar al-Assad expressed Friday to Arab leaders during the summit that he hoped that the meeting, with the presence of Damascus, would be “the beginning of a new phase” for joint Arab action.
“I hope that (the summit) marks the beginning of a new phase of Arab action for solidarity among us, for peace in our region, development and prosperity instead of war and destruction,” al-Assad told the leaders and representatives of Arab countries.
Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine, attended the summit the following day as a stop on his way to Japan, where he will take part in the G7 summit in Hiroshima.
Zelensky is making his first trip to the Middle East since the start of the Russian invasion to attend the Arab League summit and consult with Arab leaders about their countries’ bilateral relations.
The presence of the Ukrainian president at the meeting allowed him to address the regional leaders over the less unified support for Ukraine than that of its European and American allies.
The Ukrainian president demanded that Arab leaders take a unifying stance to “save people” from Russian invasion, accusing them of “turning a blind eye” to Russia’s actions in his nation.
Saudi Arabia, the nation hosting the meeting, has adopted a neutral stance on the crisis. The country maintains ties with both Moscow and Kiev while presenting itself as impartial in the Ukrainian issue.
Prior to Zelensky’s arrival, Assad arrived in Jeddah to attend the Arab League summit for the first time after being expelled in 2011 for putting down an uprising that turned into a horrific war.
On the other hand, Syria is one of five nations that have voted against UN Security Council resolutions urging Russia to end hostilities in Ukraine, and Assad is an ally of Moscow.
Syria desires a return to normalcy in its relations with the Arab nations, particularly Saudi Arabia, to secure funding for its pricey reconstruction.
The 32nd Arab League summit discussed other global issues, such as the conflict in Ukraine and the global economic crisis.
Despite Saudi attempts, President Tebboune preferred to skip the Arab summit in order to avoid any pressure to mend fences with Morocco, according to Hespress AR.
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