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Syria turns down invitation to Beirut-hosted Arab economic forum, says envoy

BEIRUT, January 17. / TASS /. Syria received an invitation to the Economic Summit of the League of Arab States (LAS) in Beirut from Lebanese President Michel Aoun, but refused to participate in the forum. Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abdul-Kerim, told the Al Mayadeen TV channel on Thursday, stating that Damascus believes that the Arab League "hasn’t departed from its erroneous approach towards developments in Syria."

The Arab League suspended Syria’s membership in November 2011 amid the civil war that had engulfed the country. Most of the Arab nations recalled their ambassadors from the capital and joined the economic boycott against Damascus, after Syrian authorities refused to make any concessions to the opposition. During the course of the conflict, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and several other states provided financial and military assistance to military groups fighting the Assad government.

Amassador Abdul-Kerim stressed that Syria "achieved military and political victory, while the plans of the Western and Arab states failed."

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