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Syrian president says Arab League summit is historic opportunity to address regional issues without foreign interference​

Jeddah, May 19 (RHC)-- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attended on Friday the 32nd Summit of the Arab League Council in the city of Jedah, Saudi Arabia, marking the beginning of Damascus' reintegration into the international arena, and said that the countries of the region can conduct their affairs without interference from the US and other Western nations.

Al-Assad said: "Today we are facing a historic opportunity to reorganize our affairs with as little foreign intervention as possible."

Prior to the working session, the head of state posed for a photograph with some twenty heads of state and high-level representatives. The working agenda of the meeting will be headed by regional issues.

According to Arab media, the normalization of relations with Syria, the conflict in Sudan, the situation in Yemen, the escalation of Israeli violence against Palestine and the power vacuum in Lebanon will be addressed.

The conflict in Ukraine will also be discussed, which will coincide with the visit of President Volodymir Zelensky to the Saudi kingdom to improve bilateral relations, as announced by Kiev.

Khaled Manzlawi, the Arab League's Undersecretary General for International Political Affairs, said that the conflict in Ukraine is a key issue and that the bloc will advocate the search for consensus.

The presence of Al-Assad, who was received in the room by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, contrasts with the absence of the leaders of Morocco, Algeria, Oman, the Emirates, Kuwait and Sudan.

Last May 7, Arab diplomatic heads meeting in Egypt's capital, Cairo, decided to move forward with the readmission of Syria as a member country of the Arab League after almost 12 years of isolation of Damascus.

Last week, the Syrian leader received an invitation from the King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to attend the important meeting of the Arab region.