JEDDAH: Gulf Arab foreign ministers and their counterparts from Egypt, Iraq and Jordan on Saturday exchanged views on the importance of reaching a political solution to the crisis in Syria, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. The ministers also stressed the importance of an Arab leadership role in efforts to end the crisis, according to the statement issued at the conclusion of an informal consultative meeting of the foreign ministers, hosted in Jeddah by Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan. They called for setting up the necessary mechanisms for this role, and intensifying consultations among Arab countries to ensure the success of these efforts.” Syria’s possible return to the Arab fold was also discussed, according to the statement. Syria"s membership was suspended from the 22-nation Arab League following President Bashar Assad"s bloody crackdown that sparked a multi-sided war that has devastated the nation and displaced millions of people. Hundreds of thousands of people died in the war, which drew in numerous foreign powers and splintered the country. While Some Arab states have mended ties with Damascus, Syria’s broader normalization with the Arab world remains a sensitive issue for several countries. Earlier this week, Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, said the original basis for the 2011 suspension of Syria’s membership in the Arab League still stands. Abu Dhabi and Oman also received Assad as normalization gathered momentum elsewhere in the region following a devastating quake that hit Turkiye and Syria. Saudi Arabia said after a rapprochement with Iran, Syria’s key regional ally, that a new approach was needed with Damascus. Both countries agreed to reopen embassies soon. In a meeting last week between Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Syria"s Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad in Jeddah, the two diplomats announced the need to explore a political solution to Syria"s crisis. During"s Saturday"s consultative meeting, the foreign ministers said it was crucial to find a political solution that would "preserve Syria"s unity, security, stability, territory and Arab identity." They also agreed on the importance of resolving the humanitarian crisis, providing a suitable environment for aid to reach all regions in Syria, creating the necessary conditions for the return of Syrian refugees and displaced persons to their areas, the statement said. They further stressed the need to combat terrorism in all its forms and organizations, combat drug smuggling and trafficking, and for state institutions "to preserve Syria"s sovereignty over its lands to end the presence of armed militias there, and external interference in Syrian internal affairs.”