Cairo - On Sunday, the foreign ministers of the Arab League adopted a decision to readmit Syria, which had been suspended for more than a decade, consolidating efforts to normalize ties with President Bashar al-Assad.

The decision allows Syria to immediately resume participation in Arab League meetings, while also calling for a resolution to the crisis resulting from Syria's civil war, including the flight of refugees to neighboring countries and drug smuggling across the region.

Although some Arab states, have pushed for Syria's rehabilitation, some remain opposed to full normalization without a political solution to the Syrian conflict. Jordan's foreign minister has also insisted that the Arab League's reacceptance of Syria would be just the beginning of a long and challenging process.

To address these concerns, a ministerial contact group consisting of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, and the Arab League's Secretary General will liaise with the Syrian government to seek step-by-step solutions to the crisis. Practical steps include continuing efforts to facilitate the delivery of aid in Syria.

Syria's membership in the Arab League was suspended in 2011 after a crackdown on street protests against Assad that led to a devastating civil war, prompting many Arab states to pull their envoys out of Damascus.

Arab states have been trying to reach a consensus on whether to invite Assad to an Arab League summit on May 19 in Riyadh to discuss the pace of normalizing ties and the terms for Syria's return.

Saudi Arabia, believes a new approach is necessary with Damascus after its recent rapprochement with Iran, Syria's key regional ally.