Beijing, 20 May (Xinhua) -- The summit of the League of Arab States opened on 19 May in Jeddah, a coastal city on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was warmly welcomed on behalf of Syria's return to the Arab League family. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky attended the meeting and sought the support of Middle Eastern countries.
Since Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed in March to restore diplomatic relations brokered by China, there has been a wave of rapprochement in the Middle East. In particular, Saudi Arabia, which has been under the influence of the United States for a long time, has adjusted its regional foreign policy and actively promoted the realization of peace and reconciliation among Middle Eastern countries. As local people say, Middle Eastern countries are strengthening unity and self-improvement and striving to solve regional problems on their own.
On May 19, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, leaders of the Arab League Summit attended a group photo ceremony. Xinhua News Agency (Photo provided by Saudi Arabian News Agency)
Bashar was hugged
The flags of 22 Arab League member countries, including Syria, fly on Jeddah's main streets. Saudi Arabia's Riyadh newspaper said that this Arab League summit will become a "summit within a summit."
"I would like to loudly welcome Syria back to its seat among the Arab brothers." Algerian Prime Minister Ayman bin Abdurrahman said in his opening speech at the summit.
During the group photo of the leaders before the opening of the summit, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Mohammed shook hands and hugged Bashar. In his opening remarks, he once again welcomed Bashar to the summit, "We hope that Syria's return to the Arab League will help end the Syrian crisis" and achieve "stability" in Syria.
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Mohammed, left, shakes hands with Syrian President Assad al-Assad at a welcoming ceremony ahead of the summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 19. Xinhua News Agency (Photo provided by Saudi Arabian News Agency)
Bashar arrived in Jeddah on the 18th. Earlier on the 19th, he met with Tunisian President Keith Said and other leaders attending the meeting. As he walked to the main chamber in the afternoon, he also exchanged greetings with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi.
AFP noted that not all Arab League countries are looking forward to re-establishing relations with Syria. Qatar still supports the Syrian opposition, saying it will not normalize relations with the Assad government, but it will not pose an "obstacle" to the Arab League's restoration of Syrian membership and Arab consensus. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani once fiercely accused Bashar, but announced on the 18th that he would lead a delegation to participate in the summit.
The Syrian Arab News Agency reported that before the opening of the summit, Tamim talked with Bashar and shook hands on the sidelines.
Syria's return to the Arab League family has made the United States angry and annoyed. According to the Associated Press, US congressmen are initiating legislation seeking to hinder Arab countries from returning Syria to the international community, preparing to patch loopholes in US sanctions against Syria, and asking the US government to prevent other countries from restoring normal relations with the Bashar government.
A Gulf source close to the government's decision-making circle told Reuters: "Americans are discouraged. The people who live in this area are us. We try to solve our own problems with the tools at our disposal whenever possible. ”
Zelensky was invited
This summit will discuss the "Arab League Plan" to solve the Syrian issue, involving the return of Syrian refugees, the fight against drug trafficking, as well as the armed conflict in Sudan and the Palestinian issue. In addition to these regional issues, the summit will also discuss the Russia-Ukraine conflict and global economic issues.
"In fact, the whole world is going through a difficult phase in history, and the map of international relations is being redrawn." Khalid Manzarawi, assistant secretary general for political affairs of the Arab League, wrote in the Middle East newspaper on the 17th that the unity of Arab countries can make the voice of Middle Eastern countries "heard not only in the Middle East, but also globally."
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed said in his speech at the summit on the 19th that Saudi Arabia is willing to mediate the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Mohammed Mohammed attends the GCC Summit in Ul-Ula on January 5, 2021. Xinhua News Agency (Photo courtesy of Saudi News Agency)
Zelensky did not announce his participation in advance. This is his first visit to the Middle East since the escalation of the crisis in Ukraine last February. Regarding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Middle Eastern countries generally remain neutral, and many countries have close relations with Russia.
After arriving in Jeddah, Zelensky wrote on social media Twitter that he would meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Mohammed and other regional leaders, including strengthening Ukraine's bilateral relations with Arab countries, the Arab League and energy cooperation.
An Arab League official, who did not want to be named, told AFP that it was Saudi Arabia, not the Arab League, who invited Zelensky to the meeting. Saudi officials have not confirmed this claim for the time being.
Saudi Arabia's diplomatic transformation
Ahead of hosting the summit, Saudi Arabia has launched a series of major proactive diplomatic actions. In AFP's view, the starting point is a settlement between Saudi Arabia and Iran in March this year.
Saudi Arabia is speeding up its push to end the years-long conflict in Yemen, where the Saudi-led military alliance seeks peace with the Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen.
This is a picture of Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, taken on December 6, 2022. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Sui Xiankai
According to the Associated Press, the Arab League resumed Syria's membership on the 7th of this month, and Saudi Arabia also played a leading role. Saudi Arabia resumed diplomatic relations with Syria on the 9th. Saudi Arabia, once one of the main financiers of the Syrian opposition, sought to overthrow the Assad government and later withdrew its support for the Syrian opposition.
After the outbreak of armed conflict in Sudan in mid-April, Saudi Arabia facilitated the evacuation of citizens from many countries to Jeddah. The parties to the Sudanese conflict are now negotiating a ceasefire in Jeddah.
Kuwaiti writer Javad al-Ahmed Bukhamshin wrote this week in the Saudi daily Ukaz newspaper: "In the eyes of observers, Saudi Arabia has become a mediator of peace, a symbol of harmony." (Hu Ruoyu)