Persian Gulf Cooperation Council Member States to Discuss Syria’s Return to Arab League

Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Majid al-Ansari, confirmed that Foreign Minister Mohammad bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani will participate, as will representatives from "concerned countries" such as Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan.

The aim of the consultative meeting is to discuss the situation in Syria and points of view of Arab states about Syria's return to the Arab League, al-Ansari said. According to media reports, the United Arab Emirates is understood to support the plan.

Syria's membership in the Arab League was suspended following the eruption of foreign-backed militancy in the country in 2011. Saudi Arabia closed its embassy in Damascus and withdrew all diplomats in March 2012.

Today, the two governments are preparing to reopen embassies after Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, according to media reports. The UAE also cut its relations with Syria in 2012 but reopened its embassy in Damascus in 2018.

The move towards Syria's potential return to the Arab League coincides with the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which were severed in 2016.

Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers recently signed a joint statement in Beijing to restore relations and start arrangements to reopen embassies and consulates. Riyadh and Tehran have also agreed to improve security and economic cooperation. The recent development indicates how the deal between Tehran and Riyadh may play into the settlement of other crises in the Middle East region.