Arab summit starts deliberations today in Beirut

Arab masses' attention is thoroughly attached to Beirut's summit which starts its works today with hope that this summit will be up to the aspirations and expectations of those Arab citizens, strengthening Arab steadfastness and ensuring the return back of all Arab rights.

Moroccan King Muhammad VI, the Saudi crown prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz arrived in Beirut on Tuesday evening to take part in the summit. President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt delegated his prime minister Ateif Ebeid to act on behalf and preside over the Egyptian delegation to the summit.

To this effect, the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh arrived in Beirut and also President of Djibouti Ismael Omar Jella, President Abdul Qasem Salad hassan of Somalia, the first deputy for the Sudanese President Ali Othman Taha, the ruler of Dubai Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashed al-Maktoum, ( UAE vice President), the deputy prime minister in Oman Sheikh Fahd Bin Mahmoud al-Saeed and the Kuwaiti deputy Premier and foreign minister.

The Lebanese President Emil Lahoud and the secretary General of the Arab league Amre Mousa welcomed the said delegations at Beirut's airport. The Lebanese President held short talks with the arriving delegations and discussed with the Egyptian foreign minister Ahmad Maher current preparations to convene the summit. The Egyptian minister praised the preparations and arrangements prepared by Lebanon to provide the summit a success.

Concerning political activities furnishing for the summit, Mousa met with the deputy chairman of the Iraqi revolutionary council Izzat Ibrahim and discussed with him the agenda of the summit and the case between Iraq and Kuwait.

Meantime, the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak expressed his hope that the Beirut's summit will be up to the ambitions of the Arab citizens, doubting the possibility of maintaining a security agreement between the Palestinians and the Israelis prior or after the Arab summit. He said that striking Iraq is a grave matter which will not be accepted by the Arab people.

In a pre-departure statement for Beirut, the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh called for lifting the sanctions imposed on Iraq unilaterally and called on the Arab leaders to take a collective initiative to this effect.