Syria calls for Arab 'mutual respect' after readmission to League

Syria called on Sunday for Arab states to show "mutual respect", after the Arab League voted to readmit it following more than a decade of estrangement over the Syrian civil war.

Arab states should pursue "an effective approach based on mutual respect", the Syrian foreign ministry said in a statement that also stressed the "importance of joint work and dialogue to undertake the challenges facing Arab countries".

Arab League foreign ministers voted to readmit Syria earlier on Sunday, in a major step towards normalisation. Its membership was suspended in 2011, the year its ongoing civil war began.