Hossam El-Din Ala, the new Syrian representative to the Arab League, has presented his credentials following the decision by the League’s Ministerial Council to reinstate Syria’s membership.
According to sources within the Arab League, speaking to Xinhua News Agency, Ambassador Hossam El Din Ala presented his accreditation papers during a meeting with the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, in Cairo.
In a press statement after the meeting with Aboul Gheit, Ambassador Ala discussed the cooperative relations between Syria and the Arab League. He marked the laying of the foundation stone for cooperation and coordination between the two parties, emphasizing Syria’s high interest in collaborative relations with Arab countries.
He suggested that their presence in the Arab League would enhance this cooperation and coordination, in the interest of the Arab nation and member states.
Ambassador Ala noted that Arab countries faced many challenges and threats over the past years due to Arab disagreements. He expressed his anticipation for a new phase of Arab work aimed at preserving the supreme issues of the Arab nation and the interests of its member states.
The Arab League Council decided in its emergency ministerial meeting last May to resume the participation of the Syrian government’s delegation in the Arab League Council meetings and all the League’s affiliated organizations and bodies.
Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad participated in the Arab Summit meetings held in Saudi Arabia last May.
It should be recalled that on November 12, 2011, Arab foreign ministers had decided to suspend Syria’s membership in the Arab League Council meetings and all its affiliated organizations and bodies, effective from November 16 of the same year.
The decision to suspend Syria’s membership was then agreed upon by 18 countries, opposed by Lebanon and Yemen, with Iraq abstaining and Syria being absent.
