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The Arab leaders rushed through a declaration in Doha on Tuesday and granted Damascus' seat at the Arab League to the Syrian opposition, acknowledging the right of the member countries to provide all means of self-defense to the Syrian opposition.
The Arab League also proposed to hold a conference over infrastructure restoration in war-wrecked Syria, urging the international community to provide more aid to the Syrian people.
Earlier on Tuesday, Moaz al-Khatib, resigned head of exiled Syrian opposition coalition, took up Damascus' seat at the 24th summit of the Arab League, calling for more political and financial support to the Syrian opposition.
He said the Syrian opposition welcomes any political solution that could prevent further bloodshed and destruction.
Earlier this month, some countries, mainly oil-rich Qatar and Saudi Arabia, led a push during an AL ministerial meeting to invite the Syrian opposition to occupy the seat of Damascus at the league, whose membership was suspended in November 2011. Lebanon, Iraq and Algeria refused to endorse the decision, saying it is against the AL Charter.
The Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi (L) and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani attend the joint press conference after the 24th Arab League Summit in Doha, Qatar, on March 26, 2013. (Xinhua/Qin Haishi)
A total of 15 heads of state of Arab countries attended the pan- Arab body's summit, including Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, while Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Algeria, Oman, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates are represented by high-level delegations.
Iraqi Vice President Khudeir Musa Al Khuza, in his opening address, called on the AL to form a security council to solve the long-time Syrian crisis.
"Arab Security Council is a practical answer to our issues and to fend off foreign intervention," he said.
After that, the Qatari emir, who received the rotating presidency of the AL summit from Al Khuza, urged for UN actions to help put an end to the Syrian crisis.
The Qatari leader meanwhile proposed a mini-Arab summit, led by Egypt and leaders of Fatah and Hamas, in Cairo as soon as possible to achieve Palestinian national reconciliation.
He also called for Arab countries to establish a fund of 1 billion U.S. dollars to support the Palestinians, pledging that his country will offer a quarter of the amount.
Secretary General of the AL Nabil al-Arabi, for his part, urged all sides to uphold a political settlement to the Syrian crisis, calling on the UN Security Council to shoulder its responsibility to push for a political solution to the issue.
He also welcomed Qatar emir's call to hold a mini-Arab summit in Cairo, stressing the need for financial support to the Palestinian National Authority.
