Arab Summit Ends with Support to Palestinians, Division on IraqThe 13th ordinary Arab summit concluded in the Jordanian capital Amman Wednesday with the leaders pledging support for Palestinians but divided on lifting UN sanctions on Iraq.Jordanian King Abdullah bin Hussein chaired the closing session, which adopted the final statement and Amman declaration. The Arab leaders discussed at the two-day summit a wide range of issues, including the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Arab policy towards Israel, UN sanctions against Iraq and Iraq-Kuwait relations. The declaration of 17 resolutions calls for protecting Arab national security on the basis of respecting each state's sovereignty, seeking Arab reconciliation and holding Arab summit periodically and on schedule. It also calls for enhancing Arab solidarity and economic integration, safeguarding legitimate Arab rights, and tolerance and co-existence on the basis of mutual respect. The declaration promises to provide full support for the Palestinians, Syrian and Lebanese people in their struggle to regain their legitimate rights, calls for an end to UN sanctions imposed against Iraq following its invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and for dealing with the Iraq issue on a humanitarian basis. The Amman summit, attended by 15 heads of state or government and seven representatives from the 22-member Arab League, is the first regular Arab summit since it was decided at the Cairo emergency summit last October to become an annual event. The next ordinary Arab summit will be held in the Lebanese capital Beirut. |
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