Official accuses Qatar, Saudi of obstructing Syria’s return to Arab League

Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Bashar Al-Jaafari has accused Qatar and Saudi Arabia of obstructing the regime’s return to the Arab League.

“We did not leave the Arab League, we are one of the founding countries and we did not abandon our national identity,” Al-Jaafari said, adding that his country does not accept “any conditions imposed on it in return for its participation in the Arab League meetings.”

Al-Jaafari said the Arab world is opening up to Syria as witnessed by the visit by UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan last month.

Last Thursday, the Saudi envoy to the United Nations, Abdullah Al-Mouallimi, called on the international body not to believe the Syrian regime when it says the war in the country has ended.

“Do not believe them, for the war has not ended for 2,000 martyrs added this year to the list of more than 350,000 martyrs,” he said.

The Saudi ambassador stressed that the Syrian regime was the first to open its doors to terrorism by allowing the Lebanese Hezbollah group and sectarian organisations coming from the east into Syria.

Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than ten million displaced, according to UN estimates.

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