Arab foreign ministers do not agree to a date for urgent summit
Regional, Politics, 2/17/2003

The Arab foreign ministers yesterday in Cairo concluded their meetings agreeing not to set a date for an urgent Arab summit which was called upon by the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and by issuing a statement calling on all member states to not provide any facilities for launching an attack against Iraq.

The ministers also agreed on maintaining the security and safety of both Iraq and Kuwait and preserving their territorial unity.

However, the announcement made by the secretary general of the Arab League Amr Moussa in a press conference following the meeting that the final statement is not obligatory on the member states, has diminished the value of this statement. Moussa indicated that a committee including Egypt and Lebanon was formed in order to hold consultation with the Arab leaders in order to set a date for the urgent Arab summit. The ministers reviewed developments of the Iraqi issue and the importance of an active unified Arab stance based on rejecting war against Iraq and reaching a peaceful solution in the frame of the international resolutions.

Lebanese Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Hammod, the chairman of the current session of the Arab Foreign Ministers Council, called on a unified strong Arab stance to face the current challenges and activate the resolutions of Beirut Summit that stressed Arab states' rejection of any military action against Iraq considering such action as being against all Arabs.

He also called on making the Middle East region free from weapons of mass destruction especially Israeli chemical, biological and atomic weapons that threaten the security of the region and the whole world.

For his part, Greek Foreign Minister, George Papandreou stressed in his speech that official and public European stances are against the war.

He also referred to Iraqi cooperation with the inspectors and to the importance of boosting Arab- European coordination and cooperation regarding Iraq.

Previous Stories:
  Mubarak calls Arab leaders to hold extraordinary summit next week   (2/15/2003)
  Annan believes settlement of Cyprus problem by deadline possible, UN envoy   (2/15/2003)
  European refusal of war on Iraq 'sound stand', says Moussa   (2/15/2003)

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