Russia has recently intensified its efforts to reinstate the Syrian regime back to the Arab League. The regional organization had suspended Syria’s membership on Nov. 12, 2011, following the regime’s bloody crackdown against the anti-government protests back then. 

Russia’s demands were carried by its Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on his tour to Gulf countries in March. Lavrov visited Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Doha, where he met his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.

The three ministers asserted during their meeting in Doha March 10 that the solution to the Syrian crisis is political, away from the military option. Sheikh Mohammed confirmed that the reasons that led to Syria being cast out of the Arab League still exist, expressing hope for a political progress that would ensure its reinstatement.

He stressed the need to preserve the Syrian territorial integrity, and the need to reach a consensus to reject a military solution to the crisis. “All opportunities for cooperation between countries must be exploited, and we will complement international efforts to reach a settlement in the Syrian crisis.”