Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita said on Sunday that Syria’s readmittance into the Arab League must be a launchpoint for a political process to find a “comprehensive and long-lasting” resolution to the country’s crisis.
The statement came during a session devoted to discussion of the Syrian crisis and the country’s status in the Arab League.
The diplomat drew attention to efforts made by Saudi Arabia to achieve that goal, saying that efforts will “make the upcoming Arab summit in Jeddah a real opportunity for the reunification of Arab ranks.”
Bourita added that Saudi Arabia’s efforts are built on “the basis that the good does not come with division but rather with unity and complementarity.”
He added that the Arab League can be one of the ways into peace and security for the country, as well as a “faithful partner” to help Syria achieve prosperity and development.
He added that the Arab League states are committed to preserve Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and called attention to measures taken previously by said states to help refugees settle peacefully and to counter terrorism int he country
The Moroccan minister recalled the historic ties between Morocco and Syria, stressing that Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has always given attention to the Syrian crisis and all its consequences, especially the human ones.
Bourita also expressed regret for what has happened in Syria over the past decade, as the country became embroiled in a complex civil war, expressing that Arab countries had hoped to play a role in de-escalating the conflict but their efforts were impeded by the speed and spread of the events.
Syria was readmitted to the Arab League on Sunday, ending a 12-year old absence after the country was expelled in light of violent treatment of protesters in 2011.
The decision was made in anticipation of the May 19 summit in Saudi Arabia and amid regional normalization with Syria’s regime in recent weeks. Morocco was reportedly one of the countries opposed to the country’s readmittance, according to the Wall Street Journal.
