UAE President calls for Arab summit, as Gulf states approve of Iraqi response

President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al-Nahyan has reiterated his call to convene a pan-Arab summit once or twice a year as well as to hold urgent conferences to meet challenges facing the Arab nation, with adopted decisions to win the majority.

He stressed that "a call for a mini-Arab summit is rejected." Sheikh Zayed, moreover, expressed regret over the "drastic situation in the Arab world which is cordoned with risks," according to the London-based al-Hayat daily.

Meanwhile, the Gulf Cooperation Council member states considered Iraq's reply to the call of the UN Security Council, permitting UN inspectors to resume their work in Iraq, as enough to defuse the crisis with the UN.

During his meeting on Sunday night in Abu Dhabi with the foreign ministers of the GCC member states, Sheikh Zayed added that the summit of the GCC member states' leaders on December 7 aims at following up on numerous achievements scored by the council and "strengthening the march of fraternal cooperation between the region's countries and peoples."

For his part, UAE Foreign Minister Rashid Abdullah al-Nueimi welcomed Iraq's response to the message of the UN chief. He added that the GCC member states "always demand Iraq to comply with UN resolutions so as to avert damaging itself and to lift the sufferings of the people of Iraq."

He expressed hope that Iraq's response to the UN would lead to "eliminating the crisis, and reason and logic as well people's interest will attain ultimate victory."

He added that Iraq's demands are well-known: "eliminating the suffering of the Iraqis."

He continued, "Doubtless, the return of UN inspectors will lead to reconsidering the Iraqi demands and to lift its sufferings very soon."