Foreign ministers from Arab League member states in Cairo voted in favor of restoring Syria’s membership to the organization after it was suspended over a decade ago.
The meeting in the Egyptian capital took place ahead of the Arab League Summit in Saudi Arabia on May 19, following a rapid rapprochement with regional governments since February.
It also took place days after regional top diplomats met in Jordan to discuss a roadmap to return Syria to the Arab fold as the conflict continues to deescalate.
Syria’s membership in the Arab League was suspended 12 years ago early in the uprising-turned-conflict, which has killed nearly a half million people since March 2011 and displaced half of the country’s pre-war population of 23 million.
The body usually attempts to make decisions by consensus, but decisions otherwise could pass with a simple majority vote.