Arab League readmits Syria

The Arab League readmitted Syria on Sunday after more than a decade of suspension, consolidating a regional push to normalize ties with President Bashar al-Assad in a move criticized by Washington.

The decision said Syria could resume its participation in Arab League meetings immediately, while calling for a resolution of the crisis resulting from Syria's civil war, including the flight of refugees to neighbouring countries and drug smuggling across the region.

While Arab states including the United Arab Emirates have pressed to end Assad's isolation, some have been opposed to full normalization without a political solution to the Syrian conflict, seeking conditions for Syria's return.

Qatar, which had previously opposed Syria's return to the League, said its position on normalization had not changed and it hoped regional consensus on Syria could be a motive for the Syrian regime to address the roots of the crisis, a foreign ministry spokesperson told state news agency QNA.

"The reinstatement of Syria does not mean normalization of relations between Arab countries and Syria," Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit told reporters in Cairo. "This is a sovereign decision for each country to make."

Syria called on Arab states to show mutual respect.

A US State Department spokesperson said Washington shared the goals of Arab partners in Syria, including building security and stability, but remained skeptical of Assad's willingness to take the steps necessary to resolve Syria's crisis".

"We do not believe Syria merits readmission into the Arab League at this time," the spokesperson said, adding that US sanctions would remain in full effect.

But Russia, an Assad ally, hailed Syria's readmission.

"Moscow welcomes this long-awaited step, the logical result of the process, which has gained momentum, of returning Syria to the 'Arab family,'" Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia's Foreign Ministry, said in a statement.