Arab Foreign Ministers conclude their Cairo meeting
Regional, Politics, 1/25/1999

Arab foreign ministers on Sunday concluded their one-day meetings at the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo. The Arab ministers released a final statement in which they condemned the US-British aggression on Iraq and the Iraqi people, calling for not resorting to the use of military force against Iraq.

They stressed the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq and the need to lift the sanctions imposed on the people of Iraq and the embargoes imposed on the people of Libya and Sudan.

The Arab FM s condemned the double-standard policy pursued by Israel. The statement reads as follows:

At the invitation of the Secretary General of the Arab League, the Arab foreign ministers held a meeting to hold consultations in light of current developments at a call advocated by the Yemeni President to convene an urgent Arab summit to discuss current Arab issues, current developments on Iraq and to achieve Arab solidarity concerning challenges facing the Arab nation; in protection of Arab interests and rights and in order to avoid dangers besieging Iraq following the recent military operations, which the Arab FM s council demands not to be repeated"

The Arab foreign ministers:

1- expressed their deep concern and regret over resorting to the military option against Iraq and its consequences in claiming the lives of innocent Iraqi people. The Arab FM s demand resorting to the diplomatic solution in implementing all UN Security Council resolutions concerned and called upon the Iraqi government to cooperate with the UN Security council in implementing these resolutions. The Arab FM s also call upon the UN Security Council to rebuild the relation between the UN and the Iraqi government, in assertion to the UN's credibility in implementing UN Security Council resolutions, correctly and objectively.

2- They expressed full solidarity with the people of Iraq in their sufferings as a result of the embargo imposed on them and stressed the need for collective international efforts for lifting this siege very soon.

3- As an expression of the legitimate security fears of Arab countries neighboring Iraq, according to the resolution adopted by the extraordinary Arab summit conference of June 1996, which demanded that the Iraqi government abide by not pursuing any policies aiming at provoking its neighbors, the Arab FMs opposed the stances recently expressed by certain Iraqi officials which are in contradiction with the resolution of the said summit and to good neighborly relations and called on the Iraqi government to immediately stop these stances. They also called upon the Iraqi government to take necessary steps which prove its peaceful intentions toward the state of Kuwait and other neighboring countries.

4- The foreign ministers also decided the following:

-The Arab governments are collectively to exert necessary efforts and in the course of cooperation with the UN to lift the economic sanctions imposed on Iraq, according to a set program which coincides with the full comprehensive operation and according to UN Security Council resolutions concerned with Iraq.

-Forming a follow up committee to actually move toward this end including Syria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, one or two Arab Maghreb states and the state of Bahrain, in its capacity as a member of the UN Security Council.

-Asserting the Arab countries' stand against any violation of Iraq's sovereignty over its own territories, its national unity and non-interference in its internal affairs and demanding the international community to honor this stand.

-Asking Iraq to cooperate with and respond to item 30 of the UN Security Council resolution 687 which calls for cooperation with the International Red Cross according to its mechanisms.

5- After the Foreign ministers reviewed the Iraqi question and its consequences, they stressed the need of not pursuing a double-standard policy, especially when the matter is relevance to Israel which still occupies the Arab lands and refuses to implement its obligations and violates UN Security Council resolutions. They stressed that eliminating all weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, foremost the Israeli nuclear weapons, is a necessary step toward ensuring security in the region.

6- The ministers reviewed what the people of Libya and Sudan have been exposed to and stressed their rejection of the policy of embargo imposed on the two countries and the need to lift these sanctions

7- The Arab foreign ministers voiced appreciation for the call advocated by his excellency Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, and to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh for convening an Arab summit and stressed the importance of holding such a summit and recommend continued consultations to convene it as soon as possible. The ministers also stressed the need and importance of strengthening joint Arab work in the framework of the Arab League.

Previous Stories:
  Arab FMs meeting will not call for lifting sanctions off Iraq   (1/23/1999)
  Iraqi dailies expect failure of Cairo meeting   (1/23/1999)
  Syrian FM confers with AL chief to insure success of Cairo meeting   (1/23/1999)

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