Arab mini-summit under hot debate

Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz will visit Syria on Saturday and Sunday to discuss holding an Arab mini-summit in Damascus next week.

A high-ranking diplomat said that the Saudi crown prince will meet on Saturday with President Hafez al-Assad and will meet on Sunday with King Hussein of Jordan to discuss preparations for convening a mini Arab summit to counter the Israeli policy.

The diplomat expected the summit to be held next week in Damascus. During his visit to Saudi Arabia, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat discussed with King Fahd the possibility of convening a summit in which he plans to ask for Arab support against the policy pursued by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu towards Middle East peace.

In Cairo, Arab diplomatic sources expected a decision to be taken within the coming days concerning the summit. The sources added that the consultations currently underway to this end will be intensified, noting that several Arab states have supported the idea of convening the summit due the grave situation in the region resulted from the "stumbled peace process."

Meantime, the Egyptian daily al-Ahram said on Thursday said that the proposed Arab mini-summit will include Palestine, Morocco, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.

The UAE and Bahrain have announced their support for the Arab summit.