Yemeni President is the first absentee from Tunisia's summit

The Yemeni capital Sanaa said President Ali Abdullah Saleh will be absent from the Arab summit which will be held in Tunisia next week.

The Yemeni official news agency Sabaa quoted the foreign minister Abu Baker al-Qurabi as saying that the Yemeni prime minister Abdullah Bajmal will preside the Yemeni delegation to the summit which will be held on May 22 and 23, noting that President Saleh is connected to dates marking the celebrations of the 14th anniversary of the Yemeni republic which falls the day of convening the summit

In the same context, the secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa said that all preparations have been completed to convene the summit at the set time. The summit's agenda was also agreed especially matters relating to hot files like the conditions in Palestine and Iraq and the reforms.

Moussa said in press statements that the Israeli demolishing policy of the Palestinian houses in Rafah and the unclear international position to halt these practices will be among issues debated before the Arab summit.