Whilst shunning the course of conflicts and regional rivalries, it is heartening to see the dawn of rapprochement season in the Muslim dominated countries of the Middle East. The diplomatic efforts in this regard are being led by the leadership of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) which is now more focused on peace and diversification of its economy- the benefit of which will definitely be accrued not only by the Kingdom itself but by the regional countries in particular and the world in general.
In what could be called a significant development, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud met recently with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus. Though much details about this visit which is the first by a Saudi official to the Syrian capital since the start of the country’s civil war in 2011, has not been disclosed, yet it is very much understandable that the prospects of peace would have been discussed in length.
The Saudi foreign ministry said in an online statement that the visit showed the kingdom’s desire to find a political solution to Syria’s conflict that would preserve the country’s “Arab identity, and return it to its Arab surroundings”. The trip came less than a week after Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad also visited Saudi Arabia, also on the first such visit since the conflict began.
Then last week also, diplomats from nine Arab countries met in the Saudi city of Jeddah and discussed ending Syria’s long spell in the diplomatic wilderness and its possible return to the 22-member Arab League after Damascus was suspended in 2011. The diplomats stressed the “importance of having an Arab leadership role in efforts to end the crisis” in Syria.
All this clearly indicates seriousness and sincerity of purpose on both sides to take the matters towards improvement which in fact is the way forward as the conflicts and war give nothing but wreak death and destruction, and the same has happened in the case of Syria where more than half a million people have been killed, while around half of the country’s pre-war population has been forced from their homes. After over a decade of conflict, Syria remains the world’s largest refugee crisis.
Since 2011, more than 14 million Syrians have been forced to flee their homes in search of safety. More than 6.8 million Syrians remain internally displaced in their own country where 70 percent of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance and 90 percent of the population live below the poverty line. The very panacea to end the woes of the war ridden country lies in normalization of ties firstly with the regional countries and then with the world at large.
The discussion between Saudi Arabia and Syria for resumption of consular services and flights as well as the comprehensive road map of ten items that includes humanitarian, political and diplomatic initiatives to restore Syria to its Arab surroundings are step in the right direction which will open the doors for investment in the war torn country and provide relief to the common man there.
We, in Pakistan, see the thaw in Muslim countries of the Middle Eastern region as a much awaited step that should lead to achieve the long cherished dream of a united Ummah to address its multifaceted challenges faced at the international level. It is only through greater unity that the Ummah can emerge as a powerful force to reckon with.
