Syria wants Arab League seat restored

Syria’s foreign minister Asaad al-Shibani has said his country wants to “restore its seat” in the Cairo-based Arab League and participate in the next Arab summit scheduled later this year in Iraq.

Al-Shibani held a joint press conference with Hossam Zaki, the league’s deputy chief, who was on an official visit to Damascus.

The Arab League re-admitted Syria in 2023 after shunning it for 12 years because of a brutal crackdown by then-President Bashar Assad against demonstrators.

Syria’s new authority is currently led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group Al-Shibani called on Arab countries to help with the reconstruction process, especially in infrastructure sectors. He added that Damascus was open to investments to boost Syria’s economy.

He also said Syria will work with the Arab countries to guarantee stability in the region. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 Syrians have withdrawn their applications for international protection because they intend to return to their homeland, while another 500 have already gone back, a Cypriot official said on Friday.