Sirte (Libya) (AFP): Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Thursday night that Iraq's withdrawal from the Arab summit held in Sirte, Libya east end of the week "is no longer on the table."
The minister said in remarks to reporters after the conclusion of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers preliminary Sirte summit, "The issue of the withdrawal of the Iraqi delegation is no longer on the table and will contribute and participate and we hope the success of this important summit in the Libyan."
He said he was his country has "some reservations about the preparations for the summit and there were some negative attitudes, the fact of political developments in Iraq," referring to the Libyan leadership to receive a delegation from the Iraqi opposition.
He said that during the meeting of foreign ministers, "explained the issue to other ministers and the participating countries and confirmed the position of the Iraqi government to participate, but we reserve the right to take any other position if we see any surprises will harm or degrade the Iraqi government and Iraqi people."
"The response of the Ministers was good and good and there was a very strong Arab solidarity with Iraq and even from the Libyan and the presidency of the Conference."
He said, "so the question of withdrawal of the Iraqi delegation is no longer on the table and will contribute and participate and we hope the success of this important summit in the Libyan."
"There have been good contacts with Baghdad today with the Presidency of the Republic and the Prime Minister and the guidance was to continue to participate in the summit."
The diplomat said a senior Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari had received instructions from Baghdad to withdraw from Arab summit meetings in protest against the reception of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and a delegation from the Iraqi Baathist opposition.
Gaddafi was received Sunday in Sirte, a delegation from the Iraqi opposition included Baathist Salah Omar Ali member of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council and former and Issam Chalabi, a former Iraqi oil minister Mohammed al-Douri and Iraq's former representative at the United Nations, according to the official JANA news agency (height).
On the other hand he stressed that "an inherent right of Iraq to host the next summit in Iraq and we waved him in the Doha summit in the Libyan brothers."
He stressed, "but reserve the right to host in Baghdad next year, God willing."
On the reservations of some States to Baghdad, the possibility of hosting the summit in view of the situation where the "new Iraq" is beginning to improve the security situation in Iraq and in our estimates that between now and next year we hope to be creating the conditions in Iraq. "
He was a member of the Arab delegations said that the morning as well as discussions at the ministerial meeting closed Thursday on Iraq's request to host the next Arab summit on its territory next year, as many delegations expressed reservations because of the security situation in Iraq, also said Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said his country could not attend Summit in Iraq only after the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops and all foreign.
The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, said emphasis is on the right of Iraq in the next presidency of the summit to be held in Baghdad or in the Arab League headquarters if necessary.
It was assumed, according to the base of the summit on a regular basis every year according to alphabetical order, to be held Summit 2010 in Iraq, but Baghdad apologized polarities replaced by Libya to Iraq to host the summit in 2011.
