Report: Foreign Ministry ‘Invites’ Syria to Summit Opening

In light of controversy over inviting Syria to Beirut’s economic summit, Lebanon’s foreign ministry, as part of “protocol rules,” has sent invitations to the accredited ambassadors including Syria to attend the opening of the summit this weekend, al-Akhbar daily reported on Thursday.

The ministry has sent invitations to Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abdul Karim Ali, to accredited ambassadors, and several political, economic and social figures, it added.

However, the daily said it is “unlikely” for the Syrian ambassador to attend the summit, adding that he might “apologize for attending in the next few hours.”

An Arab Economic and Social Development Summit, or AESD, that Lebanon is hosting this weekend has been marred by controversy days before delegates arrive.

The question of whether to invite Syria, whose membership in the Arab League was suspended in 2011, quickly became an issue.

Pro-Syrian groups led by Hizbullah have insisted that the Syrian government should be invited.