Lebanese President Emile Lahoud will not take part in Monday's Arab summit to be held in Algeria because of current circumstances in Lebanon that require him to stay in the country, a statement issued by his office said Saturday. "In view of the current situation and developments on the Lebanese internal arena, President Emile Lahoud has decided to cancel his participation in the Arab summit which begins Monday in Algiers Monday," the statement said. It said Lahoud expressed his regret to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika for not being able to take part in the summit because of circumstances in Lebanon which require his presence in the country. Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud will represent Lebanon at the summit, which is expected to deal with the current crisis in Lebanon.
