Assad Receives Brotherly Kiss
During the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman warmly welcomed Syrian President Assad with a brotherly kiss. The long-time isolated leader also met with Tunisian President Saied.
Assad’s Isolation Ends
After being excluded for more than ten years, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman warmly welcomed the long-isolated Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the Arab League summit in Jeddah. The two embraced and exchanged a brotherly kiss at the start of the meeting. It was Assad’s first major international event in more than a decade. Shortly after, the actual summit began in a festively decorated hall. Algerian Prime Minister Aymen Benabderrahmane opened the meeting and handed over the chair to Saudi Arabia. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani also sat at the long tables.
A Return to Normalcy
Crown Prince Mohammed said that Syria’s return to the Arab League will hopefully bring more stability to the war-torn country and allow Syria to regain its “normal role” in the Arab world.
Tunisian President Meets with Assad
Assad met with Tunisian President Kais Saied on the sidelines of the summit. Saied, whose country had broken off relations with Syria in 2011, spoke of a “historic meeting,” according to a report from the Tunisian state news agency TAP. Assad welcomed the return to normal relations, as reported by the Syrian state news agency Sana. Saied reportedly told Assad, “You are our brothers. Whatever hurts you, hurts us.”
Positive Media Reception
Saudi media commented positively on Assad’s attendance. “The Arab house is getting a new appearance. Relationships will be strengthened, problems with brothers will be resolved in cooperation, and no one will be excluded,” said a speaker on state television Al-Ekhbariya. Saudi Arabia has succeeded in calming the situation in the region and bringing about “actual changes,” according to the spokesman.