Arab States Set Condition for Assad’s Presence in AL Summit

Tunisian Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui has visited Cairo for talks with his Egyptian counterpart, and the country’s president and security head on the possible participation of Assad in the summit.

“The visit had been made upon Egypt’s official invitation to make a final decision on the possible presence of Assad in the 30^th AL summit in Tunisia,” the diplomatic sources was quoted as saying in a report by Entekhab website.

Sources at the diplomatic meetings between Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain said Assad’s participation in the upcoming summit hinges on his stance towards Iran’s military presence in his country.

According to the sources, the states have vowed to re-stablish their diplomatic ties with Syria if Assad meets their demands regarding Iran.

 

Proposal to Deploy Arab Forces to Northern Syria

Egypt and a number of Arab states are reportedly working on US proposals to deploy Arab forces to the Kurdish-populated areas in northern Syria to replace US forces after their withdrawal from the war-ravaged country.

“Dispatching Syrian forces to the areas after making coordination with the Kurds is among the proposals which are being discussed,” the diplomatic sources added.

According to these sources, final decision on the proposals depends on Syria’s response to the Arab states’ demands to revise its relations with the Islamic Republic.

The Arab League suspended Syria’s membership in November 2011 under pressure by the Arab states.