Qatar’s Ambassador to Egypt and Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the Arab League Said bin Muqaddam al-Buainain (right) and Ahmed Ben Hilli,  Deputy Secretary-General of the Arab League, are seen at yesterday’s preparatory meeting.  Al-Buainain said   the current circumstances prevailing in the region require practical steps towards the adoption of a comprehensive reform programme that meets the demands of the people regarding their dignity, freedom and social justice. PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil

QNA/AFP/Doha

 

Syrian opposition leaders are to address an annual summit of the Arab League for the first time in Qatar on Tuesday, but the bloc’s members remain divided over whether to give them Damascus’s vacant seat.

The Qatari hosts said leaders of the opposition would definitely be joining Arab heads of state in Doha.

But they did not specify whether the Syrian National Coalition would be given Syria’s seat which has been vacant since its suspension from the 22-member bloc in November 2011.

“Arab foreign ministers will decide on the issue of the seat” during a preparatory meeting in Doha today, an Arab League official said.

The Arab League called on the National Coalition on March 6 to form an executive body to take up Syria’s seat and take part in the summit.

But Lebanon distanced itself from the decision, while Algeria and Iraq expressed reservations.

The opposition alliance has begun steps to form an executive body to administer rebel-held territory inside Syria, electing Ghassan Hitto as interim premier at a meeting in Turkey on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters following the meeting of the permanent representatives and senior officials of member countries of the Arab League which opened in Doha earlier yesterday, Ahmed Ben Hilli, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Arab League, said: “At present there are still consultations among the Arab leaders and officials concerned over the representation of the Syrian opposition to the summit.”

Elaborating he said that the meeting of the permanent representatives and senior officials of member countries of the Arab League had not dealt with such a topic...” They agreed to refer the issue to the Arab ministerial meeting tomorrow and the matter will be decided on tomorrow,” Bin Hilli told reporters.

Qatar took over the presidency of the meeting from Iraq, the president of the 23rd session of the Arab Summit.

In their preparatory meeting yesterday, “the Arab ministers of economy and finance submitted a set of recommendations would help each member states to remove all obstacles hindering the setting up of a Greater Arab Free Trade Zone before the end of 2013 so as it, each state, gets ready to enter the second stage in 2015, namely the Customs Union and then the Arab Common Market if things run in the right path”, Ben Hilli told reporters.

Qatar’s Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League Said bin Muqaddam al-Buainain underlined that the 24th session of the Arab summit was being held at a time the Arab region was witnessing political developments that had and still has a huge impact on the aspirations of the Arab people for a better tomorrow and hopefully a brighter future.

He affirmed the Arab countries’ ability to face the burdens and demands of the current stage through hard work and strong will that can fulfil the aspirations of the Arab peoples to a promising future.

He pointed out that the current circumstances surrounding the region required practical steps towards the adoption of a comprehensive reform programme that meets the demands of the peoples in dignity, freedom and social justice.

Iraq’s permanent representative to the Arab League Dr Qais al-Azzawi delivered a speech at the beginning of the meeting, in which he expressed thanks and gratitude to the State of Qatar for the efforts it has exerted to host the Arab summit, and stressed full confidence that its presidency will contribute to promote the joint Arab action.

 

Qatari efforts to boost Arab solidarity praised

Holding the Arab summit in Doha gives it a better chance of success and to make significant decisions thanks to Qatar’s positive roles on all levels, especially the Arab one, GCC Secretary General Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani said.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency yesterday, al-Zayani pointed to Qatari efforts to boost Arab solidarity and push joint Arab work under the wise leadership of HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.

The summit “comes in sensitive and difficult Arab and regional circumstances and significant developments that require Arab leaders to reach an enlightened vision inspired by our civilisation and our common history to reinforce Pan-Arab solidarity,” said al-Zayani as he highlighted the significance of the summit, which takes place in Doha on Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

 

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