Arab League head welcomes Syria back into the bloc

FILE PHOTO: Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit attends a news conference at the Arab Gulf Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 9, 2022. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri

DUBAI (Reuters) - Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit welcomed Syria back into the bloc on Wednesday, as Arab foreign ministers gathered for a preparatory meeting ahead of the full summit.

Earlier this month, the Arab world's top diplomats agreed to fully reinstate Syria's membership after a 12-year suspension over the Syrian government's crackdown on protesters.