Amr Moussa: Arab countries to contribute to Syrian settlement

The Arab states will be actively involved in the settlement of the Syrian crisis in the near future, as it will help to bring peace closer to the Middle East, the former Secretary-General of the Arab League, the Egyptian diplomat Amr Moussa, said, speaking with the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza on the sidelines of the 5th Global Forum in Baku.

First of all, he stressed that the future of the Middle East remains uncertain, as the situation has not become less tense. "Until now, many issues have not been resolved, such as the Palestinian problem, the war in Syria, the conflicts in Iraq, Libya and Yemen. The greatest uncertainty is due to the US policy in the region, since we still do not know intentions of the new US president for the Middle East. Of course, we hope for the best, but the prospects are still vague," Amr Moussa drew attention.

At the same time, he expressed confidence that the Arab states will engage in the settlement of the crises in the Middle East in the foreseeable future. "Undoubtedly, Russia is a big and important power which plays a significant role in Syria, but Arab citizens cannot allow Iran and Turkey to determine the future of Syria, which is an independent country. It would be strange if there was no contribution from the Arabs in the settlement of the Syrian crisis. The Arabs are now joining the peace process. King Abdullah of Jordan will be the chairman of the Arab summit and the speaker of the Arab League, let's see what happens," the former secretary general of the Arab League said.

Speaking about the region's relations with the South Caucasus, Amr Moussa said that it is important for the Middle East to cooperate with the Caucasus. "We are members of the Muslim world, we understand each other and sympathize with each other. Therefore, we cannot separate the Middle East from the Caucasus region. As for economic interests - markets, investments, tourism - our partnership can bring us very good results. That is why close relations of the Caucasus with the Middle East are important," he concluded.