Lebanon to brief Europeans on Arab position rejecting war

The Lebanese foreign minister Mahmoud Hammoud said he will inform the foreign ministers of the European Union, who will be meeting in Brussels today, the rejection of the Arabs to attacking any Arab state, noting the position taken by France, Germany and Russia to solve the Iraqi crisis peacefully.

In a pre-departure statement to Brussels from Beirut, Hammoud said it is "am opportunity to inform the European side about the Arab position which rejects war, firstly and rejects attacks against any Arab country, secondly, in accordance with the resolutions of the Beirut summit and the several resolutions taken by the council of the Arab foreign ministers, especially their recent meeting held in Cairo."

Hammoud whose country presides over the Arab summit said that Europe has a basic and important role especially following the position taken by France, Germany and Russia which stressed the need of the peaceful solution for the Iraqi crisis.

Worthy mentioning that Hammoud and the secretary general of the Arab League Amr Moussa will take part in the meeting of the foreign ministers of the European Union at the invitation of the Greek Presidency of the European Union.

The Greek Foreign minister George Papandreau last Sunday attended, as an observer, the meeting of the Arab foreign ministers in Cairo on Iraq. During the said meeting, stress was laid on the "need" of the Arab states abstention to provide any aid to any military act against Iraq.