The Arab League accepted Syria again today as a member after more than a decade of suspension of its participation in the pan-Arab organization.

The decision says Syria can resume its participation in Arab League meetings immediately, while calling for a resolution to the crises caused by the Syrian civil war, including the flight of refugees to neighboring countries and drug smuggling across the region.

While Arab countries such as the United Arab Emirates have pushed for the reintegration of Syria and its president Bashar al-Assad, others, such as Qatar, remain opposed to a full normalization of relations without a political solution to the Syrian conflict.

Some want conditions on Syria’s return, with Jordan’s foreign minister saying last week that readmission to the Arab League of Syria, which remains under Western sanctions, would be only the beginning of “a very long and difficult and demanding process”.

“The restoration of Syria does not mean the normalization of relations between the Arab countries and Syria”, said today in a press conference in Cairo, the Secretary General of the Arab League, Ahmed Abul Gheit. “It’s a decision that every sovereign country will make.”

A Jordanian official said Syria would have to show it was seeking a political solution as a condition for any pressure to lift Western sanctions, a crucial step in financing reconstruction.

For its part, Syria called on Arab countries to show “mutual respect” after the Arab League approved its readmission.

Arab countries should pursue “an effective approach based on mutual respect,” the Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, which also stressed the “importance of working together and dialogue to address the challenges facing Arab countries.” .

Today’s decision states that Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt and the Secretary General of the Arab League will establish a group of ministers to work with the Syrian government and seek solutions to the crisis through mutual steps.

The practical measures include continuing efforts to facilitate aid to Syria, according to a copy of the decision seen by Reuters.

The readmission of Syria follows a Jordanian initiative that laid out a road map for ending the conflict in Syria that includes addressing the issues of refugees, missing detainees, drug smuggling, and Iranian paramilitary groups in Syria.

Jordan is a destination and main transit route to the oil-rich Gulf countries for phenethylline, a highly addictive amphetamine produced in Syria.

Syria’s membership of the Arab League was suspended in 2011 after a bloody crackdown on anti-Assad protests led to a devastating civil war. Several Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia began supporting rebel groups fighting to oust Assad from power.

Assad later regained control of most of Syria with the help of his main allies Iran and Russia, but the war has killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced millions more to flee the country. Syria remains a fragmented country with a damaged economy.

Recently, Arab countries have been trying to reach a consensus on whether to invite Assad to the Arab League summit to be held on May 19 in Riyadh to discuss the pace of normalization of relations and the conditions for normalization of relations.

Asked if Assad could attend the summit in Saudi Arabia, Abul Gheit told reporters: “If he wishes, because Syria, starting this afternoon, is a full member of the Arab League.”

“When the invitation is sent by the host country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and if it wants to participate, it will participate,” he added.

Saudi Arabia has long opposed restoring ties with Assad, but has said that after its recent rapprochement with Iran — Syria’s key regional ally — a new approach is needed with Damascus.

Washington, which calls Assad’s Syria a pariah state, has called on Arab countries to get something in return for their engagement with Assad.