Iraq and Jordan demand Syria's return to Arab League

Iraq and Jordan have spoken out in favor of restoring Syria's membership of the Arab League as a founding member of the regional organization. Speaking at the 34th conference of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Saturday, Iraqi Parliament President Mohammed al-halbousi called on "all Arab countries - both at parliamentary and state level - to take a final decision on Syria's return to meet Arab diplomacy. He also called on Arab states to help Syria play its Arab, regional and international roles effectively, to work diligently for the country's stability and to rebuild its badly damaged infrastructure, and to help Syrian refugees return home help.

“Syria faces a difficult situation following the devastating February 6 earthquake that claimed thousands of lives and caused severe damage to public and private property. “The international community is going through very difficult circumstances that require further collective and conscious efforts to maintain stability and security. During the recent meeting of the Executive Committee of the Arab Parliamentary Union in the Egyptian capital Cairo, food security was high on the agenda and proposed initiatives to solve the problem were thoroughly discussed,” he stressed.

In addition, Jordanian Foreign Affairs and Emigration Minister Ayman Safadi called Syria's return to the Arab League necessary.
The Arab League suspended Syria's membership in November 2011 for "tough crackdown" on opposition protests. Syria has condemned the move as "illegal and a violation of the organisation's charter". Syria was one of the six founding members of the Arab League in 1945.