Syrian 'crisis' must end: Head of Arab League

ALGIERS, Algeria

The League of Arab States Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit called Tuesday for ending the "crisis” in Syria.

"The developments in Syria still require a pioneering Arab effort," Aboul Gheit said during the 31st Arab Summit. "It is necessary to show flexibility from all parties so that the economic collapse and political blockage can be dispelled. Syria must engage in its natural Arab environment.”

Syria's membership in the Arab League was suspended in 2011 because of the regime’s brutal crackdown against a popular revolution.

Aboul Gheit touched on other Arab challenges and ways to solve them, including the crisis in Libya and Yemen, as well as the Palestinian cause.

He said Saudi Arabia will host the Arab-Chinese summit next December and the fifth Arab-African summit in 2023.

The summit began Tuesday in the Algerian capital of Algiers.

The two-day summit is the first since 2019 due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Tunisia was the last to host the summit in 2019.

* Ikram Imane Kouachi contributed to this report