Arab leaders almost approve summit to be on May 22 and 23
Regional, Politics, 4/23/2004

Tunisian Foreign Minister Lahbib Ben Yahya on Thursday noted there were an Arab concordance to hold the Arab Summit in Tunis on the 22nd and 23rd of next May.

In a joint press conference with Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, Ben Yahya said Arab Foreign Ministers are scheduled to meet before the summit to discuss the remained files that are going to be on the summit agenda. He stressed there were a viewpoint agreement for the Arab states on major Arab questions.

Moussa pointed out that Arab Foreign Ministers would hold meetings on May 8 and 9. He on the other hand declared the official Arab position rejecting to sending any Arab forces to Iraq unless there were an official demand from an Iraqi government elected legally and a UNSC resolution to formulate forces under the UN leadership.

Moussa said that most of the Arab leaders accepted the suggested date for the summit, noting that he will resume on Sunday his Arab tours to prepare for the summit by visiting Oman. He added that contacts are being made with Algeria, Sudan and Djibouti to define dates for visiting these countries in order to complete his Arab tour.

The Arab summit is expected to discuss conditions for sending Arab forces to Iraq within the plan of the UN secretary general delegate to Iraq al-Akhdar al-Ibraheimi. One official in the Arab League said that al-Ibraheimi plan has become strongly debated but at conditions including the withdrawal of the American occupation forces to outside the Iraqi cities, noting that the Arab forces will support the Iraqi police inside the cities.

The Arab League secretary general set a precondition which is the release of a clear UN security council resolution to form a force under a UN leadership and that to have a request from a sovereign Iraqi state to send the Arab forces to Iraq. He added that the Arab states can not be part of the occupation force in Iraq and this matter can not be imposed on Iraq or on the Arab states.

Previous Stories:
  Arab Summit not to discuss Greater Middle East initiative   (4/22/2004)
  Preparations for the summit in Cairo, Sanaa   (4/22/2004)
  Moussa meets with Yemeni President on Arab summit arrangements   (4/22/2004)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search