Syria 'does not merit' readmission to Arab League: US
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The United States, a non-arab country, claims that Syria does not deserve to be readmitted into the Arab League in the meantime in light of rising Arab rapprochement.
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Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (L) with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in Damascus on April 18, 2023 (Twitter/KSAMOFA)
The United States does not currently think that Syria merits readmission to the League of Arab States, Vedant Patel, the principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department, said on Thursday.
"We do not believe that Syria merits readmission to the Arab League at this time," Patel told a press briefing.
The US will not normalize relations with Damascus absent "authentic progress" toward a solution to the ongoing war, Patel said.
According to Patel, the US emphasizes to regional allies cooperating with the Syrian government that their efforts should be directed at enhancing the humanitarian situation in the nation.
Syrian President Bashar Assad met earlier in the week with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan in Damascus to discuss ways to resolve the Syrian crisis and warm ties between Syria and the Arab world.
Read next: Syria, Egypt hold talks on restoring diplomatic relations: Reports
In a statement, the Syrian presidency said Al-Assad assured bin Farhan that the sound relations between Syria and the Kingdom are the natural state that should prevail and that these relations do not only hold interest for the two countries but also reflect an Arab and regional interest.
In the same context, the Saudi Press Agency reported that bin Farhan conveyed the greetings of King Salman and MBS to the Syrian President, along with his wishes to the government and people of Syria for further security and stability.
The agency pointed out that the Syrian President and the Saudi Foreign Minister discussed efforts to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis that preserves Syria's unity, security, and stability, as well as its Arab identity and territorial integrity, in a way that achieves the good of its people.
The Saudi Foreign Minister's visit to Damascus came days after his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad visited Saudi Arabia for the first time in more than 12 years and held talks with Saudi officials on efforts to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis.
Sputnik reported earlier that Riyadh will reopen its embassy in Syria following Eid Al-Fitr.
Over the past few months, there has been increasing engagement with the Syrian President and Damascus.
Al-Assad visited the UAE and Oman this year, and last month, Saudi Arabia said it started talks with Damascus about resuming consular services.
CNN reported earlier in the month that CIA director William Burns made an unannounced visit to Saudi Arabia to express his frustration that peace was breaking out in the Middle East against Washington's wishes.
The Wall Street Journal cited sources familiar with the matter as saying that Burns expressed frustration with the Saudis and told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that the US has felt blindsided by Riyadh’s rapprochement with Iran and Syria under the auspices of Washington’s global rivals.
Read next: Saudi policy shift in the region worrying 'Israel': Israeli media
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
