Algeria's Arab summit to focus on the Arab Peace Initative

The 17th session of the Arab summit has started Tuesday afternoon at the Algerian capital with the Participation of President Bashar al-Assad.

Syrian dailies said the most significant subject the summit will focus on would be adherence to the Arab initiative for peace endorsed in Beirut in 2002.

" it is going to be the only Arab project to make the just, durable and lasting peace in the region on land-for-peace basis and Madrid reference," papers Tuesday said.

Al-Thawra newspaper said the importance of the summit comes due to many reasons among which is the dramatic changes the world is watching now and the US unprecedented rush in the Middle East.

It noted that "this was after the break down of the former Soviet Union with the fault affecting international relations and the US monocracy of the international resolution on the background of force and oppression resort in solving these resolutions adaptation."

" The summit comes in light of pressures many Arab countries are exposed to atop of which is Syria and Lebanon as well targeting achievements made on the level of integration and coordination between them," the paper noted.

The summit coincides with the 60th anniversary of the 22- member Arab League and comes at a time of continued violence, political tension and uncertainty in the Middle East.

The summit comes too while the US led occupation of Iraq has entered its third year as the first parliament struggles to from a post war government.

Tishrin newspaper said today the summit would be to reject normalization bids with Israel because "Algeria of the martyrs would not be turned into Algeria for normalization," according to Algerian Foreign Minister Abdul Aziz Belkhadem saying in press conference.