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Preparatory Ministerial Meeting of the Arab Summit Begins in Doha

Doha, March 24

The preparatory ministerial meeting for the 24th ordinary session of the Arab League Council, which will be held at the summit level, began today at the Sheraton Doha Hotel.

 

HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani was handed over the presidency of the State of Qatar of the Arab summit by Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari.

 

In a speech at the outset of the session, Zebari expressed confidence that the presidency of the State of Qatar of the 24th Arab summit will be effective to serve the causes of Arab peoples and promote and press ahead the efforts of the joint Arab action.

 

For his part, HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister thanked the Republic of Iraq for its appreciated efforts during its presidency of the 23rd Arab summit.

 

in his speech at the opening session HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani said to the big challenges and the tiny circumstances which the Arab nation is going through, and the size of the aspirations and expectations pinned to the summit, have imposed on us an agenda full of issues and multi Interests, specially that the meeting comes in the shadow of accelerating regional and international events, developments and changes that require us unify our address and position, coordinate political and diplomatic efforts, and activate mechanisms of our joint action in order to have influence on events and not only to be affected by them, to become more capable to protect the interests of our states and peoples and to aid the jut causes of our nation and its legitimate rights.

 

HE the Prime Minister stressed that the Palestinian cause was and will remain the central Arab cause until reaching a just, lasting and comprehensive solution that achieves the full legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, particularly their right to establish an independent Palestinian state with holy Jerusalem as its capital. In this regard, he said Israel has nothing but to recognize this solution if it wants peace and possesses the real will to achieve it.

 

Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim said Israel's repeated violation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque's sanctity, aggression on worshipers in it, the intensification of settlement activities in the occupied territories, the continued policy aimed to Judaize Jerusalem and wipe out its Islamic and Arab identity are illegal practices contravening the international law and will exacerbate tension in the region.

 

He called the international community to shoulder its responsibilities and compel Israel to stop its serious violations and respond to Palestinian and Arab desire to achieve peace.

 

Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani said if the Palestinian issue is the first Arab concern and our primary interest hub, there are other issues that cannot withstand delay or procrastination, but rather require unifying of positions, firmness and decisiveness, adding that in the forefront of these issues the Syrian crisis in all its humanitarian, political and security dimensions and with all its serious repercussions not only Syria, but on the whole region.

 

He called in this context for a strong Arab stand with the brotherly Syrian people who is fighting for freedom, dignity and social justice with millions of its citizens displaced inside and outside Syria in one of the largest humanitarian tragedies in history while the UN Security Council is unable to carry out his duty and responsibility towards a people to genocide and annihilation.

 

He the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister praised efforts of Muaz Khatib, president of the National Coalition for Opposition Forces and the Syrian Revolution and welcomed the election of Ghassan Hito as president of the Interim Syrian Government, considering that an important and necessary step in the context of transitional arrangements, and said we look forward to their participation in the Arab summit after tomorrow, in implementation of the Arab Ministerial Council at its meeting in Cairo on the sixth of March.

 

HE stressed support for the National Coalition for Opposition Forces and the Syrian Revolution , the legitimate representative of the Syrian people, in order to achieve its legitimate objective of establishing a just regime in Syria that respects the rights of all Syrians, achieve freedom, justice and maintain the unity of Syria, its security, stability and sovereignty.

 

HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani the support of the coalition in the building and reconstruction projects, repatriation of the displaced persons and refugees to their towns and villages after the attainment of victory to secure a decent life for them.

 

HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said that the summit will discuss a number of imperative issues to the Arab world during a delicate time where large hopes are placed in it.

 

HE the Prime Minister added that the Arab people want a summit of political consensus and economic integration that will be a new beginning for joint Arab work, adding that the Arab people want the summit to be one that benefits from the mistakes of the past and faces the challenges of the present, in order to achieve a better future. HE the Prime Minister also said that the Arab people look forward to a summit that will discuss Arab issues frankly to find comprehensive solutions for them.

 

HE the Prime Minister welcomed the Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs Othmane Jarandi, who is participating for the first time in the Arab Ministerial Meeting, after the formation of a new Tunisian cabinet.

(QNA)
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Arab League 24th Summit On 21-27 March 2013 Doha state of Qatar

 

Arab League 24th Summit On 21-27 March 2013 Doha state of Qatar