BEIRUT, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Caretaker Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said on Saturday that Syria "must" take part in the 2019 Arab Economic Summit in Lebanon, local media reported.
"Syria should not only participate in the summit but also take an active and effective role," Khalil was quoted as saying by local news agency Lebanon 24.
Khalil said that Lebanon must restore its channels of communication and direct coordination with Syria for the interest of both countries.
"We cannot turn a blind eye to all the transformations from Iraq to Syria and Turkey including the attempts by big players to rebalance the existing policy on the regional level," he said.
The Arab Economic Summit, an event organized by the Arab League, is concerned primarily with developmental issues in the Arab world.
The event will take place in January 2019 in Lebanon.
However, Syria will not be capable of taking part in the summit because the Arab League passed a decree on Nov. 12, 2011 that suspends Syria's membership.
The Arab League said it froze Syria's membership because its government failed to stop violence against civilian protesters back in 2011.
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri previously announced that he insists on the participation of Syria in the Arab Economic Summit.
