The Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, said that a consensus is beginning to form in the Arab world that there is no point in isolating Syria and that dialogue with Damascus is required “at some point” so that at least humanitarian issues, including the return of refugees, can be addressed, according to the statement. For the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The remarks, made by the prince at the Munich Security Forum on Saturday, mark a change in policy adopted in the early years of the nearly 12-year-old Syrian civil war, when Arab countries including Saudi Arabia supported armed opposition groups that fought once morest President Bashar al-Assad. According to “Archyde.com”.
“You will see a growing consensus, not only among the GCC countries but also in the Arab world, that the status quo is unsustainable,” Prince Faisal said.
He added that in the absence of a way to achieve the “maximum goals” for a political solution, another approach “began to take shape” to address the issue of Syrian refugees in neighboring countries and the suffering of civilians, especially following the devastating earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey.
“Therefore, this should go through a dialogue with the government of Damascus at some point in time, allowing at least the achievement of the most important goals, especially with regard to the humanitarian angle, the return of refugees and so on,” according to the minister.
