The absence of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's speech at the Arab League summit held yesterday in Bahrain raised questions, especially since his name was listed on the session's agenda. The Syrian news agency "SANA" explained that Assad did not deliver a speech "based on the steadfast Syrian vision regarding the developments in the region." It noted that he has defined, over many years, his vision on various Arab issues including Arab identity, the Palestinian cause, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the reform of the Arab League, which fundamentally centers around the need to enhance joint Arab action and develop its mechanisms to suit the modern era and avoid threats to Arab interests.
It emphasized that "the current situation in the Arab region confirms that what the president proposed in numerous previous summits has proven to be the only vision capable of achieving Arab interests." It is noteworthy that the Manama summit adopted a reduction in the speaking time for participants to three minutes, whereas it was previously open-ended, reflecting a trend in the summits to have sessions that are more closed, prioritizing discussions and deliberations over individual speeches.
