First Arab agreement to fight terrorism

The advisor to Farouk Seif El-Nasr, the Egyptian minister of justice, said that the Arab ministers of interior and justice will hold a joint meeting in Cairo on April 22 to ratify the Arab agreement to combat terrorism.

He also said the agreement establishes cooperation between Arab states for combating terrorism that threatens Arab interests and security. He said the draft agreement opposes violence, pointing out that the agreement's items are based on Islamic legitimacy, international law, the United Nations' charter and the international conventions signed in Tokyo in 1963, the Hague in 1971 and in Montreal in 1971.

He also stated that the draft agreement calls for abidance by social principles, legislation, judgments, and human resources for the Arab states. It also confirms the people's right for self determination and to resist foreign occupation according to the Arab League's charter.

The agreement will include the pledges from every signatory country to exchange information to combat terrorism and to cooperate in joint studies concerning terrorism.

Meanwhile they will also specify methods of cooperation in fields of security and law concerning extraditing criminals.

The ministers took four years to prepare this agreement and it is considered the first agreement for combating terrorism upon which Arab states have unanimously agreed.