Participants in Jeddah Talks Call for ‘Arab Leadership Role’ in Resolving Syria Crisis

DOHA (Sputnik) - Participants of the meeting in the Saudi city of Jeddah of the foreign ministers from six Gulf Cooperation countries, as well as Egypt, Iraq and Jordan, have called for the leading role of the Arab countries in ending the Syrian crisis, according to a final statement.

Saudi media reported on Friday that participants of the consultative meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council had arrived in Jeddah to discuss the possible return of Syria to the League of Arab States (LAS). The meeting lasted 2.5 hours and concluded in the early hours of Saturday.

"The ministers reaffirmed the importance of having an Arab leadership role in efforts to end the [Syrian] crisis," the final statement adopted after the talks says, as quoted by the Al Ekhbariya broadcaster.

The statement also points to the importance of strengthening consultations for the success of Arab efforts to end the crisis in Syria, which can only be resolved through political means.

The participants of the meeting also reaffirmed the need to resolve the humanitarian crisis in Syria and ensure the free delivery of humanitarian aid to all regions of the country.

The Al Arabiya TV channel said that the final statement adopted by the participants of the Jeddah talks calls for the unity of Syria and its return to the "Arab bosom."

Al Ekhbariya reported on Friday that the meeting in Jeddah was designed to strengthen pan-Arab activities and promote cooperation to counter the various crises that the region is facing. The parties could agree on the return of Syria to LAS and its possible participation in the Arab League summit, which is scheduled for May 19 in Riyadh, the broadcaster said.

Syria's membership in the Arab League was suspended in 2011 as the country was engulfed in a civil war, with Syrian President Bashar Assad's troops fighting against various armed groups and terrorists. The same year, the Arab League followed Western countries and imposed unilateral sanctions against Assad's government over alleged human rights violations and alleged persecution of the country's opposition.