THE 19TH ARAB SUMMIT WILL START ITS DELIBERATIONS IN RIYADH ON WEDNESDAY, (MARCH 28, 2007), UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ. PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL, THE FOREIGN MINISTER, SAID THE SUMMIT WILL PROVIDE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO THE ARAB LEADERS TO TAKE A UNIFIED STAND FOR FACING THE CHALLENGES. 'THE MESSAGE WE WANT TO SEND TO THE ARAB SUMMIT IS TO SAY THAT THE ARAB ENTITY IS IN A GOOD CONDITION, AND OUR LEADERS ARE CAPABLE OF GATHERING TO SERIOUSLY DISCUSS ISSUES OF MUTUAL INTEREST. ON THE ARAB NATIONAL SECURITY PAPER, PRINCE SAUD SAID THE PAPER WAS PREPARED BY THE ARAB LEAGUE'S GENERAL SECRETARIAT, AND ADDED NOT ONLY THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA, BUT ALL OTHER ARAB COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN GIVING ATTENTION TO THIS PAPER. PRINCE SAUD REITERATED THAT NO AMENDMENT WILL BE THERE ON THE ARAB PEACE INITIATIVE. THE ARAB LEADERS WILL REVIEW DURING THE TWO-DAY SUMMIT A NUMBER OF TOPICS AND ISSUES NOTABLY THE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE PALESTINIAN PROBLEM, THE SITUATION IN IRAQ, LEBANON, DARFUR AND SOMALIA AS WELL AS ISSUE OF PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IN THE REGION IN ADDITION TO A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL TOPICS. THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA HOPES THAT THE SUMMIT WILL EMBODY THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE ARAB NATION AND WILL DEAL WITH THE ARAB PROBLEMS WITH CREDIBILITY AND FACE THE CHALLENGES IN A REALISTIC MANNER. IT IS HOPED THAT THE SUMMIT WILL GIVE AN IMPETUS TO THE PROCESS OF ECONOMIC INTEGRATION AND FACILITATE TRADE EXCHANGE AMONG THE ARAB COUNTRIES. IT IS HOPED THAT RIYADH DECLARATION WILL CONSTITUTE A REAL AND PRACTICAL BEGINNING FOR THE JOINT ARAB WORK. --MORE
