TMCnet News
Reactivation of Arab initiative on cards(Gulf News Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)Arab Leaders are expected to announce a number of decisions at the end of today's summit held here. The draft resolutions according to documents obtained by Gulf News: Seeking peace The reactivation of the Arab peace initiative, which offers normalisation of ties with Israel in return for its full withdrawal from all Arab lands occupied in 1967, including East Jerusalem and "a fair" solution to the refugee problem. The summit is to reaffirm the need to respect the democratic right of the Palestinian people to choose their own government. A decision to support the Palestinian National Authority's (PNA) budget in addition to the rejection of any unilateral action that may threaten future negotiations. Iraq The leaders will call on all Iraqi parties to stop the violence and speed up the formation of a national unity government. They will also stress the need to speed up the dispatch of an Arab League mission to Baghdad, which will be headed by Moroccan diplomat Mokhtar Lamani. The leaders may recommend that Arab states re-open their embassies there and ask the Iraqi government to provide adequate security. The ministers failed to agree on a resolution calling on the US-led multinational forces to withdraw. Sudan A resolution supporting the Khartoum government stance on the issue of the troubled Darfur region. It will reject any move to send an international force to the area without the consent of the government. UAE islands Underlining the sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates over its three islands; Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Mousa, occupied by Iran and condemning the continuing Iranian occupation of the islands as well as Iran's military manoeuvres there. Lebanon and Syria Support for Lebanon's sovereignty and freedom from any external interference. The summit will also call for full and normal relations between Syria and Lebanon. The summit will also support Lebanon's right to regain its Shebaa farms and Kfar Shuba hills, which are occupied by Israel, in line with UN resolution 425. The Lebanese resistance is a legitimate right to fight Israeli aggression. Nuclear weapons Arab leaders will voice concern over regional attempts to develop nuclear programmes. They will express commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as the pillar for preventing the spread of nuclear arms in the world and in the Middle East in particular. However, the leaders will stress that countries have the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Research and environment The ministers responsible for environment will study the creation of a pan-Arab environmental body. A resolution calling on member states to increase spending on research, scientific and technological development, in addition to backing and sponsoring scientific and technological research institutions and to encourage the younger generation to enrol in scientific research. Failure The foreign ministers, however, failed to reach an agreement over the establishment of the Arab Court of Justice (ACJ) and decided to discuss the issue further upon the suggestion of a number of states. |