Arab nations invited to discuss Syria as friction eases

DOHA — Nine Arab countries will meet in Saudi Arabia later this week to discuss moves to end the decade-old isolation of President Bashar Assad, diplomats said Tuesday.

Qatar's foreign ministry said a meeting would be held on Friday in Jeddah to discuss Syria while other diplomats confirmed that the Assad government's potential presence at an Arab League summit next month would be on the table.

Ministers and top officials from the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, Iraq and Jordan have been invited, Qatar foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said.

Pressure has been mounting in recent months for greater engagement with Assad, who has been isolated since the start of the Syrian war in 2011.

Assad has visited the UAE and Oman this year and last month Saudi Arabia said it has started talks with Damascus about resuming consular services.

The Arab League, which excluded Syria in 2011 over the violent crackdown on regime opponents, is expected to hold a summit in Riyadh in May. 

The main objective of Friday’s meeting “is to discuss the situation in Syria”, Ansari told a briefing, adding that Qatar would be represented by Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

An Arab diplomat in the Gulf confirmed that Syria would be the focus of the Jeddah meeting and that “the Arab summit and Syria’s participation in it will definitely be on the table”.

Ansari said Saudi Arabia had called the “consultative meeting” through the GCC secretariat. Iraq, Jordan and Egypt had been invited as they are “concerned countries”.

The GCC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Among the countries invited, the Iraqi government said it was considering the invitation. 

“There are many developments regarding the situation in Syria and Arab views towards Syria’s return to the Arab League,” the Qatari official said.

Talks “will focus on exchanging views on this issue and the standing of each country on the situation” in Syria, he added.