Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil
has contacted several Arab countries to discuss inviting Syrian
President Bashar Al-Assad to attend the Arab League meeting to be held
in Beirut.
Reporting informed sources, Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported on
Thursday that Bassil made the phone calls with Arab officials in
cooperation with Egypt, noting that the final decision on Syria’s
participation has not yet been taken.
According to the newspaper, Lebanon is waiting for Saudi agreement on
the participation of Al-Assad. So far the issue has been discussed with
Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt and Tunisia.
A senior source added that Damascus had not yet been informed that a
Lebanese delegation intends to hand over the invitation. However,
sources allegedly said that Bassil had visited Damascus, though the
Lebanese MP Salim Oun denied these reported.
Despite Jordan’s decision not to participate and the delay in receiving
the Saudi reply, Lebanon reiterated that the Arab League meeting will go
ahead, after news reports had expected the meeting to be put off.
The Arab League suspended Syria’s membership in 2011 in the wake of the
Arab Spring and subsequent civil war, though recently several Arab
states have started to prepare for reopening their embassies in
Damascus.
Comments
Post a Comment