Damascus hosts APU's 34th session

Under the patronage of Syrian President Hafez al-Assad the 34th session of the council of the Arab Parliamentary Union opened its deliberation on Sunday at the Umayyad Palace for conferences.

It was attended by Syrian Prime Minister Mahmoud al-Zou'bi, Egyptian Parliament Speaker Fathi Sorour, Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abdul Meguid and the APU secretary general as well as members of the participating Arab parliamentary delegations.

In a speech he made, the speaker of the Syrian People's Assembly, Abdul Qader Qaddoura, said, "The Arabs have always showed preparedness to achieve peace based on justice and comprehensiveness and on Israel's total pullout from all occupied Arab lands, but Israel continues to make circumvention on basic peace obligations."

Sorour condemned the Israeli attack against south Lebanon. He called on the UN and all world peace-loving forces to firmly stand against this aggression. He expressed hope that the new Israeli government will prove its committment to achieving a just and comprehensive peace according to the Madrid conference terms of reference and UN resolutions concerned.

He underlined the importance of achieving the greater Arab free trade zone in order to make fundamental changes to the Arab economic structure, so as to make Arab economic policies applicable. He, in this respect, indicated the steps and measures carried out by the APU to "complete the dream" and build the common Arab market.

In his presentation, Abdul Meguid asserted that Israel as the only power in the region which has weapons of mass destruction and the question of water both constitute a great concern in regard to Arab and regional security. He added that the most important of topics to be debated by the session of the APU is the inevitability of the establishment of the common Arab market as well as the foundation of a national economic bloc that can cope with the spirit of the age, strengthen the capabilities and potential of the Arab nation and protect its national security. He, in this respect, noted that the greater Arab common market has this year reached a reduction on custom duties and fees by 20% on inter-Arab trade.

The AL chief continued, "If the common Arab economic dimension is witnessing a clear move," the issue of purifying inter-Arab atmospheres is of no less significance. He elaborated that dealing with the general Arab conditions still requires redoubled efforts, asserting that the AL is following up with great optimism the inter Arab meetings and sincere efforts made to restore Arab solidarity so as to enter the 21st century with a common Arab vision that can set the political, economic, security and technological objectives for common Arab action.

Meguid asserted the importance of lifting the embargo imposed on the people of Iraq and to avert the sufferings of the Iraqi people.

Abdul Meguid in this respect, indicated the efforts made by the Arab foreign ministers to crystallize a united Arab stand concerning Iraq through suspending the continued military acts against it, the need to embark on the peaceful solution for building relations between Iraq and the US and to instantly lift the perpetuated embargo imposed on Iraq.

The three-day session, which coincides with the Union's 25th anniversary, will examine the secretariat general's report on last year's activities, asses the Union's 25 years of existence and examine means to promote and activate its actions on the Arab and international scenes.

Participants will also look into recommendations of a special committee on the creation of an Arab common market.