Arab foreign ministers agree to important measures
Regional, Politics, 9/10/2001

Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said that the Arab Foreign Ministers approved a number of measures on the dangerous conditions in the Palestinian territories.

The new measures will be issued today. "The Arab Foreign Ministers' council tackled the regional situation as well as the issues of Sudan, Somalia and impacts of the US Anti-Missile Defence (AMD) on the region," said Moussa late Sunday.

"Meeting of Monday will tackle African cooperation and the rest of items on agenda of the meetings including Arab-African and Arab-European cooperation as well as a number of reports by economic committees and the new budget for the secretariat general," he added.

On the follow-up committee, Moussa said that the meeting also took up developments on the Palestinian arena and several measures and contacts with groups in the UN in preparation for the General Assembly meetings in September.

Moussa described the meeting as important, adding that it also tackled a detailed Palestinian report and efforts made to hold a meeting between Palestinian LeaderYasser Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said that Arabs would do their utmost to reach a unified formula on the dangerous situation in the occupied territories.

The two-day meetings or the 116th session for the Arab League (AL) Council at the level of Foreign Ministers kicked off Sunday noon under the Comoran Foreign Minister Mohamad El-Amin Seuefou.

The Secretary-General Amr Moussa, 19 Foreign Ministers and three heads of delegation at various levels participate in the proceedings to discuss several issues of concern to the Arab world.

The inaugural session began with a speech by Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad Ben Jassim Ben Jabr Al Thani, Chairman of the previous session, in which he said that the Arab nation is still facing challenges reflected in the serious situation in the occupied territories and Israel's continued aggressions on the Palestinian people.

He noted that Israel is practicing the state terrorism, in violation of all the pledges it took within the peace process.

"Israel exploited the international community's inability to take decisions to deter it, compelit to halt its aggressive practices and bring the peace process back on track," said Jassim.

Sheikh Hamad further said that the serious incidents in the Palestinian territories have taken the fig leaf off the Israeli government's true face, noting that Israel uses all kinds of suppression to impose the kind of peace it wants.

"The failure of the Secretary Council to adopt a resolution to provide international protection for the Palestinians worked as a mistaken message for Israel to carry on its antagonistic policies," he said.

Israel wants to backtrack on the peace process, but the international community has to realise that violence is the result of Israel's inexorable aggression on the Palestinian people, he said, pinpointing that resistance of occupation is a right for all peoples.

"There would be no comprehensive and durable peace with Israel unless it is a just one that is based on the international legitimacy resolutions and the land for peace principle," the Qatari Foreign Minister added.

Previous Stories:
  Moussa, Cassini hold talks   (9/8/2001)
  Maher follows up proceedings of Durban's WCAR   (9/8/2001)
  Arab League insists on holding int'l conference to implement Geneva convention   (9/8/2001)

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