BEIRUT (AP) — Syria on Monday known as on Arab nations to spend money on the war-torn nation, now once more a member of the Arab League. The enchantment from Syria’s economic system and commerce minister got here throughout an financial convention in Saudi Arabia, forward of a league summit within the kingdom.

The 22-member Arab League agreed earlier this month to reinstate Syria, ending a 12-year suspension and taking one other step towards bringing Syrian President Bashar Assad, a long-time regional pariah, again into the fold.

However, crippling Western sanctions in opposition to Assad’s authorities stay in place and will stop oil-rich Arab nations from dashing to spend money on Syria — or result in a fast launch of reconstruction funds within the war-battered nation.

“We invite you to participate in investing in Syria, where there are important opportunities and promising horizons,” stated the Syrian minister, Mohammed Samer al-Khalil, as he addressed the opening session of the convention Monday in Jeddah.

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan additionally spoke, welcoming Syria’s return to the Arab League and saying he appeared ahead to working collectively “to achieve what we aim for.”

Syria earlier this month opened regional talks with Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Egypt in Amman, as a part of an Arab-led initiative to resolve the Syrian battle. Analysts say investments will seemingly be restricted till Syria reaches a political resolution to the battle and resolves a number of different urgent points — hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, a flourishing illicit drug commerce and extremist militant teams.

It is unclear if Assad, who has been formally invited to the Arab League summit on Friday, will participate in it.

Syria was suspended from the league over Assad’s brutal cracking down on mass protests in opposition to his rule in 2011. The rebellion shortly became a civil conflict that has killed almost a half million folks and displaced half of the nation’s pre-war inhabitants of 23 million.

Saudi Arabia had been a key backer of armed opposition teams trying to overthrow Assad, however in current months Riyadh had known as for dialogue. Last month, Syria’s Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad visited Riyadh and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, visited Damascus and met with Assad. Last week, the 2 nations agreed on reopening their embassies.

In his speech, al-Khalil additionally thanked Arab nations for sending help to Syria following the February earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria, killing over 50,000 folks, together with greater than 6,000 in Syria.

In addition to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt have additionally renewed ties with Damascus, following normalization efforts from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain years in the past.

Still, Kuwait, Morocco, and Qatar, stay against normalizing relations with Syria and Qatar continues to be a key backer of Syrian insurgent teams preventing Assad.

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