10/9/2010Syrian Pres. says holding Arab summit in Iraq requires leaders'' approval
SIRTE, Libya, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad said on Saturday that holding the next Arab summit in Iraq requires an approval by the leaders.
"This matter requires a decision at summit level, and this matter was not raised (during the opening talks of the extraordinary summit)," Assad told reporters after the end of the first closed session of the summit which opened here earlier today.
Assad said that the leaders tackled ways of reforming and improving joint Arab action and boosting ties with regional neighbors "and we have not related to other topics outside the summit agenda".
The Syrian leader described summit talks as "calm" and said the first session focused on the agenda at hand, adding that there were actual contributions by participants.
Meanwhile, he re-affirmed the deep-rooted ties with Egypt, but said he had no opportunity to meet with his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak.
Assad said no invitation was sent to him to visit Egypt.
For his part, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said that the initiative on bolstering ties with regional neighbors is an effective policy used around the world to avoid isolation and form strong blocs.
In a memorandum to the summit, Moussa said that the Arab League has launched dialogues with many countries and region, including India, Russia, Latin America, Turkey, China and Africa.
He said that Arab states can no longer be onlookers and have to take the initiative towards the ongoing development in the world.
He said that the initiative conforms with the UN charter, Arab League charter and international law.
Moussa proposed that the initiative be put into a form of a document or a forum that should take into consideration non-interference into the internal affairs of member states, peaceful settlement of any conflict, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their territories.
Taking into account equality rights and duties, working together to raise the living conditions of peoples and improving economic, social ties and respecting democracies and human rights should also be part of this proposed regime, he noted.
He proposed that members of this body hold a meeting for foreign ministers and an annual summit on the sidelines of the Arab summit.
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