Saudi extends invitation to Syria for Arab Summit

ALBAWABA - Saudi Arabia extended an official invitation to Syria to attend the Arab League summit, days after the league decided to restore Syria to its seat.

On Wednesday, Syrian President Bashar Assad received an official invitation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to participate in the Arab Summit which will be held in the kingdom next week, according to the Syrian presidency.

Saudi Ambassador to Jordan Naif bin Bandar al-Sudairi handed the invitation over to Assad.

"Assad received an invitation from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to participate in the thirty-second session of the Arab League Council meeting at the summit level on May 19", the presidency said.

The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said earlier: "The path of settlement of the Syrian crisis will take a stage of procedures."

"The Syrian president can participate in the summit of the League if he so desires", he added.

At the same time, Syria announced the resumption of its diplomatic mission in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The 'resumption decision' comes "based on the brotherhood ties that unite the peoples of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Syrian Arab Republic, and out of keenness to contribute to the development of joint Arab action," according to the Saudi Foreign Ministry.

Sunday, Arab League decided to restore Syria to its seat, after suspending its membership for nearly 12 years due to the outbreak of Syrian war.

But it (Arab League) stressed that the decision would 'officially' take place "only if Syria agrees on some conditions". No further details about the conditions were revealed yet.