April 1, 2005

THE ALGERIA SUMMIT STRESSES COMMITMENT TO CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH'S ARAB INITIATIVE. PRESIDENT MUBARAK SUBMITS SIX GUIDELINES FOR THE REACTIVATION OF THE ARAB LEAGUE AND THE ARAB COMMON MARKET AND ACHIEVING REFORMS. PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL CHAIRS THE SAUDI DELEGATION AND HOLDS MEETINGS WITH LEADERS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF PARTICIPATING MEMBER STATES. AMRE MOUSSA: ISRAEL SHOULD NOT EXPECT ARAB NATIONS TO NORMALIZE TIES WITHOUT ANYTHING IN RETURN, IT SHOULD BE COMMITMENT FOR COMMITMENT. ANNAN STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF ACHIEVING PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. Arab leaders opened a two-day summit in the Algerian capital to discuss a 17-point agenda, including a resolution to revive a 2002 peace plan. The Kingdom's delegation the two-day Summit was led by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister. Several foreign dignitaries were present at the opening ceremony, including UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier and the European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana. Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali spoke at the opening session of the Arab Summit in Algiers in his capacity as outgoing chairman of the Arab League Summit. "Premised upon the various Arab initiatives, we have established a joint and coherent plan to pursue the process of development in all political, economic, social and cultural fields, in line with our choices, specificities and capacities," he said reviewing the actions undertaken during his chairmanship of he Arab Summit. "In this context, he added, we reaffirm our common determination to consecrate the universal values of freedom, democracy and human rights, to consolidate the rights of women in the process of comprehensive development, to enhance the components of civil society, and to promote the systems of education, training and scientific research in our Arab societies, in such a way as to serve the interests of our countries and peoples, and reinforce our Nation's capacity to interact positively with the changes and stakes of the time." In the Tunis declaration adopted on may 23, 2004, Arab leaders had pledged "to carry on reform in our countries, to keep pace with the accelerated world changes through the consolidation of democratic practice, the broadening of participation in political and public life and the reinforcement of the role of all components of civil society, including the non-governmental organizations in conceiving the guidelines of the society of tomorrow." Continuing his review of the accomplishment of the last Arab Summit session, he added, "We have also endeavored to deepen relations with the various countries and peoples of the world, in order to further make known to the international community our choices and claims, and to win its support to crucial Arab causes, in the forefront of which the Palestinian cause and the recovery, by the sisterly Syria and Lebanon, of their occupied territories. In this context, we have worked to follow up the implementation of the resolution adopted by the Arab States in the Tunis Summit reaffirming their commitment to just, comprehensive and durable peace as a strategic choice to settle the Middle-East conflict, on the basis of the Arab Peace Initiative, the resolutions of international legality, and the Roadmap adopted by the UN Security Council, so that the brotherly Palestinian people, whose cause remains our prime cause, can manage to recover its legitimate national rights, within a context of security, peace and stability for all the peoples of the region." The Tunisian leader also expressed his "hope the recent elections held in Iraq will help the brotherly Iraqi people surmount its ordeal and recover its security and stability so that "it can devote itself to the reestablishment of its institutions and the reconstruction of its country." He also expressed his "appreciation for of the establishment of the great pan-Arab free-trade zone, which came in effect at the beginning of the current year, in accordance with the resolutions of the Tunis Summit. " President Ben Ali underlined he importance of the Arab role within the context of the Arab Summit on the Information Society to be held in Tunisia next November. "I wish to commend the Arab efforts exerted in all the preparatory stages of the World Summit on the Information Society... We cherish the hope that all of you, governments, civil societies and private sector, will make active contributions to this Summit, so that this historic event will constitute a propitious opportunity for the success of our common endeavors to narrow the digital and development divide between the North and the South." The Tunisian head of State stressed his commitment to "establishing the Arab Organization for the Information and Communication technologies, hoping that it will soon launch its activities." The President Abdelaziz Boutaflika of Algeria underlined the necessity of restoring the occupied Arab lands in Syria, Lebanon and Palestine. "The restoration of the occupied lands to Syria and Lebanon is a basic provision through which Arab countries can promote their current situation," President of Algiers said in a speech to the opening session of the 17th Arab Summit in Algiers. "We again stress the Arab peace initiative which stipulates for the full Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Arab lands, the Land-for-Peace formula and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state we are here insisting the peace option as a strategy for all Arab states," He added. Boutaflika called for lifting all multi-sided or bilateral sanctions imposed on some Arab countries. He renewed the Arab countries' commitment to the Arab identity, civilization and common destiny, adding that if the "Greatest Middle East" means reforms, the Arabs had started to implement reforms, but if it was related to another strategy, the Arabs will remain adhered to the Arab identity. President Boutaflika called for making the Middle East a region free from weapons of mass destruction and changing the Mediterranean basin into a lake for cooperation and peace. Boutaflika warmly welcomed the presence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, saying that normalization with Israel is conditioned by the withdrawal of Israel from all the occupied Arab territories and its abiding by the "road map." He urged Arab countries to show solidarity with the Palestinian "brotherly" people as long as Israel continues to practice its excessive policy against the Palestinians. On his part, Arab League Secretary General Amre Moussa said in his speech that Israel should not expect Arab nations to normalize ties "without anything in return." Moussa added Israel expects that "Arabs will make concessions and even normalize without anything real in return. This shouldn't be." "It should be commitment for commitment," he said. Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero addressed the summit to garner Arab support for his plan to create an "alliance of civilisations" to defeat terrorism and bring Western and Arab nations closer together, AFP reported. He also noted the need to solve the Palestinian problem. In his speech to the 22 members of the Arab League and other international figures, Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero advocated open communication among the world's nations and praised the recent phenomenon that has seen Arab countries embracing democratic values. The Spanish leader also promoted his Alliance of Civilizations plan, supported by the United Nations, which aims to solve cross-border threats such as terrorism and illegal immigration through dialogue. "The vision that places terrorism predominantly in a radical and fanatical vision of a religion such as Islam, which is an element of identity for many countries and people, is a grave error that unjustly places under suspicion of complicity entire societies," Zapatero said. "There is no place here for impositions. With humbleness, perhaps [Spain] can return some of what we have received from other countries during many centuries, in particular the Arab world." In attendance during Zapatero's speech, in addition to the leaders of the member states, were UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, European Union High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Javier Solana, French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier and Italian Deputy Prime Minister Marco Follini who spoke at the opening session. Arab League Secretary General Amre Moussa said that peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved without ensuring a regional security system which realizes balance and takes into consideration security of all and bans the presence of (WMD), particularly the nuclear weapons which Israel possesses. ‏ Moussa warned that failure to realize peace in the region will lead to arms race and threaten regional stability and security in the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea. He said: This was made because of nuclear cohering with Israel, a thing which makes the policy of non-proliferation a double-face one which is not respected. Moussa added that Israel is still pursuing its settlement aggressive practise and is pressing to get concessions in return for nothing. Israel envisages that rights will be forgotten and that what it gets of support and immunity will allow it continue to build settlements, set up the apartheid wall and keep the occupied Arab lands, he said. Meantime, EU foreign policy Higher Representative Javier Solana called for reviving the peace process and to help Iraq restore its sovereignty and reputation. ‏ He stressed the importance of Israel's withdrawal from the occupied Arab lands saying: The initiative which was adopted by the Arab submit of Beirut is still firm and today is more suitable than it was in 2002, when it was set forth by the Arab League. ‏ Secretary General of the African Union Alfa Omar Kanari called for strengthening relations between the Arab and African countries and realizing integration in the economic, security and cultural fields. ‏ Italian Deputy Prime Minister Marco Follini stressed his country's support for the Arab League and each Arab state thanks to Italy's geographical extension in the Mediterranean and its traditional interest in the region's issues. He called for consolidating cooperation and partnership between Italy and the Arab countries. ‏ On behalf of the Secretary General of the Islamic Conference Organization, a speech was given at the Arab summit where he called for improving the cooperation between the Islamic Conference Organization and the Arab League. ‏ International challenges and threats which the Arab and Islamic worlds are facing demand such cooperation, where we have to coordinate our political stands, he said. European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, arriving in the Algerian capital to attend the two-day Arab summit, said he was taking part to try to help advance the Middle East peace. "We must think of all the possible solutions to the difficult problems facing the region," Solana said on arrival. "We must seize this occasion to help advance the peace process globally," he added, in a reference to the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Palestinian-Israeli track and the Syrian-Lebanese crisis. Solana said he had bilateral meetings with several Arab delegates, including Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas who is making his debut at an Arab summit and the host of the forum, Algerian President Abdelaziz Boutaflika. Javier Solana, who attended the Arab Summit as an observer in Algiers, said that he will exploit this opportunity to work to push the peace process in the Middle East forward. ‏ In a statement to Agence France Presse, he added that it is necessary to think of the possible solution for the difficult problem in the region and to benefit from this moment to push the peace process forward. ‏ He asserted that the European Union strongly contributes to the political and economic level to push the peace process forward. ‏ The main word in the coming years will be cooperation rather than confrontation, he added. ‏ Solana commended the relation between the EU and the Arab League and described it as strong and constructive. ‏ He also said that he conducted bilateral talks following his arrival in Algiers with the majority of the participants in the Arab summit, including the Algerian President Abdul Aziz Boutaflika and the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas. ‏ "Jordan presented a document aiming at reactivating, promoting and marketing the Arab initiative for peace, by submitting a precise and concise form," Arab League spokesman Hossam Zaki told AFP ahead of the meetings. "This document was examined by the delegates who introduced a few additions in a way to please everybody and this is what was adopted," he said, referring to objections that had been made in the run-up to the summit. The three-point draft offers Israel the chance to normalise ties with the Arab countries in exchange for a total pullout from land it conquered in 1967 and later annexed. It also insists that an independent Palestinian state and a solution to guarantee the rights of Palestinian refugees were essential to peace with Israel. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas reminded Israel that peace commitments are a two-way street. "We tell Israel we are committed to the roadmap and agreements reached in Sharm el-Sheikh and we hope that these commitments are reciprocal," said Abbas. Sources in the Algerian capital said that after the morning session the king of Morocco told a closed-door meeting that Arab reforms were "more than ever necessary" to confront political and economic challenges facing the region and help end foreign occupation. "We must free our nation from our weakness and impotence and restore its strength and assurance," Mohamed VI said Algerian President Abdelaziz Boutaflika and chairman of the current Arab summit session began the meetings by describing peace with Israel, based on an initiative expected to be endorsed in Algiers, as of "strategic" benefit for the Arab world. "It is necessary to reaffirm strongly that peace [with Israel] is the strategic choice of all the Arab world," Boutaflika told the opening session on Tuesday. An Arab peace initiative "submitted by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz and officially adopted at the Beirut summit [in 2002] is based on the principle of a land-for-peace exchange," the Algerian president added. The political transition in Iraq following January's historic legislative elections and the continued presence of foreign troops in the embattled country was also addressed at the summit. The Syrian troop redeployment in Lebanon was not on the official agenda.The civil war in Sudan's western Darfur region and the conflict in Somalia were also on the agenda. Egypt's delegation was presided over by President Mubarak who arrived in Algiers to take part in the summit. During the first closed session of the summit, President Mubarak submitted six guidelines upon which priorities of the joint Arab action will be based in the upcoming stage. These guidelines are: -The need for reactivating the Arab League to turn into a locomotive for the joint Arab action and its main instrument in achieving the aspirations sought by Arabs. -The importance of going ahead with reform, development and modernization efforts in the Arab world. -The need of providing a wide space for the Arab civil society, its NGOs so that they may act as one of the joint Arab action tributaries. -The need of accelerating steps for reactivating the Arab common market, the economic unity council and the economic and social council. -The need of laying down clear-cut groundwork for cooperation with the international community based on equality, dialogue, mutual respect for cultural and civilization diversity. -The need of sustaining efforts for achieving a just, comprehensive and permanent settlement of the Arab Israeli conflict. Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak underlined the need to continue reforms and modernization in the Arab states in accordance with the Tunis summit and the aspirations of the Arab peoples. Addressing the first closed session of the 17th Arab summit, in the Algerian capital, Mubarak stressed that Arab reforms should cope with latest developments while maintaining the Arab identity. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) should be given the opportunity to contribute to joint Arab action through their constructive views, he said. Earlier in March, Arab NGOs held their second meeting in a row at the Alexandria Library, Egypt, to give their views on reform issues, Mubarak added. President Mubarak urged expediting steps to activate the Arab common market, the economic unity council and the economic and social council as prerequisites to enhance and modernize Arab economies. In his word to the first closed session of the 17th Arab summit, the Egyptian leader said that the greater Arab free zone has been put into force early in 2005 and accordingly Arab countries should activate its role and activities. He urged the Arab world to work out clear-cut bases for cooperation with the international community based on dialogue, respect and cultural diversity. The Arab civilization has various contributions to promoting regional and international peace, security and stability, the President said. Mubarak pressed for continued efforts to achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Positive developments have recently been witnessed on the Palestinian-Israeli track through pushing ahead with the stalled peace process, the President said. He cited the understandings reached between the two sides at Sharm el-Sheikh summit in February and the success of the inter-Palestinian dialogue hosted by Cairo a few days ago. Mubarak also called for mobilizing political, economic and financial support for the Palestinian Authority and people to back their just cause, continue to enhance the peace process, implements the roadmap peace plan and set up an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds as its capital. Russia assumes the Iraqi election proved to be an important event in bolstering the political settlement process despite the harsh conditions it had been held in, reads the address by Russian President Vladimir Putin to participants in the Arab summit meeting in Algeria. Putin congratulated them on the 60th anniversary of the League of Arab States (LAS), the presidential spokesman said. "We hope that the new government formed by parliament will be able to win the trust and support of most Iraqis. To this end, steps to rebuild Iraq's legitimate authorities should be complemented with launching a large-scale intra-Arab dialog aimed at national reconciliation and consensus. For our own part, we are ready to do our utmost to facilitate that in close cooperation with our Arab partners," the address reads. Putin reaffirmed the unwavering intent of Russia to step up comprehensive cooperation with LAS and beneficial bilateral cooperation with all of its participant nations to promote peace, security and steady development. Russia, in cooperation with the quartet of international intermediaries, is ready to keep on being proactive in implementing agreements aimed at pursuing the "road map" in earnest and leading to establishment of an independent democratic viable Palestinian state coexisting with Israel in peace and security, Putin noted in his address. "The comprehensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict is impossible without resuming the drive towards peace between Israel, Syria and Lebanon on a solid international law basis, including the Beirut peace initiative by the LAS. It is important for the promising trends in the Israeli-Palestinian affairs not to be ruined by new hotbeds of tension in the area, including an escalation of the conflict in Lebanon and the situation with Syria. The steps being taken by the Syrian leadership in coordination with Lebanon to fulfill the Taif Agreement, UN Security Council Resolution 1559 and other relevant UN resolutions and, thus, improve the situation in the region, the address stresses. Russia has been watching closely the dynamic sequence of events in the region. "The democratic election in the Palestinian territories in January 2005 and the ensuing summit meeting in Sharm al-Sheikh served the fertile ground for resuming the political process between Israelis and Palestinians," the address reads. The Arab foreign ministers had wrapped up their second and final day of talks as a prelude for referring their draft resolutions and final statement to the Arab league meeting to be held at the level Arab leaders. During their meetings the ministers reviewed among other things plans for the first amendment to the Arab League charter since the 22-member organization's creation that would set up a pan-Arab "parliament" and streamline decision-making. They amended the new Jordanian draft on the controversial Middle East peace plan, by including an article stipulating rise of an independent Palestinian state, rejection of settlement and settlers and Israel's pull out from all the occupied Arab territories. They also approved draft resolutions on Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti, the three U.A.E. Islands occupied by Iran and the Lockerbie issue. They also called for fostering Arab-Afro cooperation as well as supporting Lebanon and the Israel's occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights. The Ministers discussed as well the Libyan initiative, reform of the UN Security Council to involve other members and the Arab League budget deficit. -- Meanwhile Algerian foreign Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem said during a news Conference with Arab League Secretary General Amre Moussa that the Arab Foreign Ministers approved all items on the agenda that will be referred to the leaders during their meeting. He said discussions touched on the unilateral US sanctions imposed on Syria and solidarity with Syria and Lebanon, amendment of the Arab League charter and reactivating the Arab peace initiative. Other issues involved the situation in Sudan and Somalia, the territorial dispute between the United Arab Emirates and Iran, and Arab security in the light of globalization, combating terrorism in particular. In turn Moussa said there was no reconsideration of the original version of the peace initiative approved by Beirut summit in 2002. He added that there were no alternatives for this initiative, adding that Israel is still building settlements and the separation wall, rejecting the road map for peace plan adding that Israeli violations are still going on. In Algiers Egypt's President Mohammad Hosni Mubarak received Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister, on the sidelines of the Arab summit, ongoing in the Algerian capital of Algiers. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and ways of their enhancement and Arab summit Scheduled agenda. Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, met here today with France's Foreign Minister Michel Barnier on the sidelines of the Arab summit, ongoing in the Algerian capital of Algiers. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and ways of their enhancement. The international issues and France's role in the revival of the peace process in the Middle East were also reviewed. Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, conferred with India's External Affairs Minister A. Ahmat. During the meeting, they reviewed the bilateral relations between the two countries and issues of mutual concern. The meeting was attended by the Saudi Minister of Culture and Information Iyad Ibn Amine Madani. Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister, met with the Representative of Political and Security Affairs at the European Union Javier Solana on the fringes of the 17th Arab Summit. They reviewed the developments at the Arab and international arenas, notably the peace process in the Arab region. On the other hand, Prince Saud Al-Faisal met with Japan's envoy for affairs of the peace process in the Middle East Ari Ma. They reviewed developments of the peace process in the Middle East as well as means for the development of the Organization of the United Nations (UN). Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Algeria to attend the Arab League summit and asked the leaders there to support the package of United Nations reforms that he presented to the General Assembly in his report called "In Larger Freedom." Mr. Annan, addressed the summit in the capital Algiers, and discussed the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon, Iraq, Sudan and reforms in the Arab world, stressing the importance of achieving peace in the region. He held bilateral meetings with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. He also attended the dinner being held for all the visiting Heads of State.