![]() ![]() The embrace of Assad was a marked departure for Saudi Arabia, which supported Syrian rebel groups during earlier stages of the war and accused Assad, an Iran ally, of operating a "killing machine".įrom Riyadh's perspective, a successful summit would involve concrete commitments from Syria on issues including war refugees and the captagon trade, said Torbjorn Soltvedt of the risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft.Īn Arab League statement seen by AFP said the bloc agreed to address both issues as well as "terrorism". King Salman, Prince Mohammed's 87-year-old father, did not make an appearance, leaving his son to preside over the event. "We are pleased today by the attendance of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in this summit," Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, said in his remarks, adding he hoped the return would lead to "stability" in Syria.Īssad and Prince Mohammed met after the summit, and Assad "praised the efforts exerted by Saudi Arabia to achieve Arab rapprochement", Syria's official SANA news agency reported. "I would like to loudly welcome Syria back to its seat among its brothers," Algerian Prime Minister Ayman Benabderrahmane said in the opening speech of the summit. "I hope that it 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," Assad told the gathering in the Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah.Īs leaders walked into the main hall, Assad exchanged greetings with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and before the opening ceremony he met Tunisia's president and the vice president of the United Arab Emirates. It was the first time Assad had appeared at the Arab League since Syria was suspended in 2011 over the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators that led to civil war. A triumphant Assad called for a "new phase" in regional cooperation in his remarks to the summit, which also featured a surprise appearance by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a sign of host Saudi Arabia's growing diplomatic clout. ![]()
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