Arab League Summit concludes in Saudi Arabia, adopts Jeddah Declaration

Jeddah, May 20

The 32nd Arab League Summit concluded in the Saudi city of Jeddah by adopting the Jeddah Declaration, which calls for Arab unity to solve regional issues, state media reported.

The declaration welcomed Syria's readmission to the Arab League (AL), vowing to intensify pan-Arab efforts to help Syria tackle its crisis, Al Arabiya TV reported on Friday.

It underlined the Arab Peace Initiative to solve the Palestinian issues, urged for the de-escalation of tensions in Sudan, called for the election of a new Lebanese President and the required reforms to lift Lebanon out of its crisis, and supported initiatives to promote security and stability in Yemen, Xinhua news agency reported.

The declaration rejected foreign interference in the domestic affairs of Arab countries and "categorically reject all support for the formation of armed groups and militias outside the scope of state institutions".

At a press conference to brief on the summit, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud was quoted by Al Arabiya TV as saying that the Jeddah Declaration will reinforce joint Arab work.

The Minister affirmed that the Palestinian cause remains the Arab's pivotal cause, expressed hope that Syria's return to the Arab fold would contribute to ending the Syrian crisis, and called on the Sudanese warring parties to resort to dialogue to put an end to the current armed clashes.

AL Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit highlighted the success of the Jeddah summit in achieving its goal, expressing hope that the summit would be a beginning for the Arab countries to grasp their fate in their own hands.

The 32nd Arab League Summit kicked off in the Saudi city of Jeddah on Friday with the participation of Arab leaders to discuss regional and global issues that are crucial to the region's stability.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attended the summit for the first time since his country was suspended from the Arab League after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

In the summit, Algerian Prime Minister Ayman Benabderrahmane handed over the rotating presidency of the Arab League to Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.