The new authorities in Damascus expect the League of Arab States (LAS) to support the will of the Syrian people and for Syria to return to its place in the regional organization. This was stated by the Foreign Minister of the Syrian transitional government, Assad Hassan al-Shibani, after a meeting with the Arab League delegation, which arrived in Damascus, led by Assistant Secretary-General Hussam Zaki.
“We hope that the Arab League will support the will of the Syrian people and we expect to return to it soon“, he said. “We look forward to Syria returning to its place in the Arab League.” Al-Shibani also expressed hope that “Arab countries will quickly enter into contact” with the new administration in Damascus so that Syria can "play the necessary role" in the region.
For his part, the Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League said that Syria is a "key country" in the region and "what is happening there affects Arab countries". He assured that "the League is working with member states to strengthen Syrian participation" in the regional organization.
Damascus's membership in the Arab League was suspended in November 2011 in the midst of an internal crisis that escalated into armed conflict. After the earthquake on February 6, 2023, many Arab countries turned to Syria and provided it with significant humanitarian aid. On May 7, 2023, the Arab League Council, at an emergency meeting in Cairo, decided to return Syria to its place in the regional community. On May 19, 2023, former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad took part in the Arab League summit for the first time since 2010, which was held in the Saudi city of Jeddah.
In late November, armed opposition groups launched a large-scale offensive against Syrian army positions. On December 8, they entered Damascus, after which government forces left the city. Assad resigned as president of Syria and left the country.