Jordan's FM anticipates Syria overcoming obstacles to rejoin the Arab League

 

Ayman Safadi, the foreign minister of Jordan, said on Friday that Syria should be able to rejoin the Arab League after a "very long, difficult, and challenging process."

Following President Bashar Al Assad's crackdown on uprisings that turned into a 12-year civil war, the Arab League suspended Syria's membership in 2011. The 22-member bloc, according to Mr. Safadi, has enough votes for Syria to reclaim its seat.

The Arab League's re-entry will be significant. But in order for us to truly end [the crisis], we will need to make sure that the entire international community is on board because at the end of the day there are sanctions—European sanctions, American sanctions—and there will be a huge need for a global effort for reconstruction.

Given the complexity of the issue after 12 years of fighting, he continued, the return is "only a very humble beginning of what will be a very long, difficult, and challenging process."

In the midst of a regional effort to normalize relations with Mr. Assad, which included a regional trip by Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad to Saudi Arabia last month, Arab League ministers are scheduled to gather in Cairo on Sunday to discuss Syria's return to the fold.

As part of Jordan's attempt to persuade Damascus to discuss a peace plan that lays out a roadmap to end the violence, Mr. Mekdad also met with Arab ministers in Amman on Monday.

According to Mr. Safadi, if Syria is prepared to make genuine strides toward settling the crisis, it will be better able to garner the vital Arab backing necessary to push for the ultimate lifting of western sanctions, which are a significant barrier to starting a significant reconstruction project.