Cairo hosted a meeting of the Arab communication committee, consisting of the foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and the secretary general of the Arab League, with Syria’s Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad. The meeting was a follow-up to a regional summit held in Amman in May, and in continuation of the recent thaw of relations between Damascus and the rest of the Arab world.
The participants discussed the latest developments in Syria, agreeing to continue work towards ending the crisis in the war-torn country in a way that complies with the Syrian constitution.
“The participants stressed that the only solution for the Syrian crisis is the political solution,” read a joint statement from the committee published late Tuesday.
The committee welcomed the recent agreement reached between the United Nations and the Syrian government to continue the delivery of humanitarian aid through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing for the upcoming six months, while encouraging Damascus to extend that period in future instances.
The Bab al-Hawa cross-border mechanism is the only way UN aid, including food, medicine, water, and other critical resources, can be delivered to rebel-held northwest Syria without having to traverse through areas controlled by the Syrian government. The crossing has been in use by the UN since 2014.
The committee and Mekdad both emphasized the need to ensure the safe and voluntary return of millions of Syrian refugees displaced by the civil war, highlighting the significance of boosting cooperation between the Syrian government and the countries hosting the refugees to facilitate their return home in coordination with UN bodies.
The UN refugee agency recorded over 51,000 Syrians returning home in 2022. Around 5.4 Syrians remain scattered in neighboring countries, while 6.8 million are still internally displaced across Syria.
Boosting efforts to uncover the whereabouts of kidnapped and missing Syrians, continuing joint-cooperation to curb the spread of narcotics, and the need to strengthen security cooperation in combating “terrorism” in Syria were also discussed during the meeting.
“The committee encourages the Syrian government to continue the steps and measures relating to handling all of the consequences of the Syrian crisis in a way that achieves the hopes of the brotherly Syrian people in overcoming the relevant challenges and heading towards a better tomorrow.”
The participants agreed to hold the committee’s next meeting with the Syrian foreign minister in Baghdad without specifying the date.
February's disastrous earthquake, which rocked both Syria and Turkey killing tens of thousands, was a catalyst for Saudi-led efforts to normalize relations with Assad, culminating in Arab states readmitting Syria into the Arab League after a 12 year hiatus.
The Amman summit marked the Syrian government’s first meeting with groups of Arab countries since Syria’s removal from the Arab League in 2011.
