DAMASCUS, 25 March 2008 — Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to the Arab League, Ahmad Qattan, said yesterday that he would represent the Kingdom at the upcoming Arab summit in Damascus.
“I will represent Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, and Saudi Arabia will abide by decisions” taken at the summit, Qattan told reporters in Damascus, where he is attending preparatory meetings for the March 29-30 summit.
Saudi Arabia blames Syria for the failure of the Damascus-allied Lebanese opposition groups to reach a deal with the Lebanese government and end the political deadlock that has prevented the election of a new president.
“We meet today without a president in Lebanon due to continued and unjustifiable delays in the election. We look forward to an effective Syrian role in achieving a Lebanese national reconciliation,” Qattan told the preparatory meeting.
Lebanon’s political crisis was expected to affect the turnout for the March 29-30 summit. The Arab League expects no last-minute breakthrough in the political deadlock, said Amr Moussa, the secretary-general of the pan-Arab organization.
Qattan also commented on the failure of Israel and the Palestinians to reach a peace deal, hinting Arabs may withdraw a historic 2002 land-for-peace initiative unless the Israelis agree to it. The peace deal was the brainchild of the Saudi king. “The Arab peace initiative will not stay on the table forever waiting for Israeli approval,” said Qattan. “Arab patience is running out.”
Under the plan, Arab countries would normalize relations with Israel in exchange for its withdrawal from Arab lands occupied in the 1967 war.
Qattan reiterated Saudi Arabia’s call for strengthening Arab unity to confront political, economic and social challenges facing the Arab nation. “The condition of the Ummah is not better than what was it when we met in Riyadh (for the previous Arab summit) and we are still facing those difficult choices because of the huge challenges,” Qattan said.
In his address, the Saudi official urged Arab leaders to work for a better future, taking inspiration from the Islamic faith. “In the past we were the rulers of the world. We should have a strong political will to transform our dreams and ambitions into reality,” he added.
Qattan said the resolutions of the Damascus summit and previous summits would remain in paper “in the absence of good intentions, unity and a desire to sacrifice vested interests.”
He also reminded the Arab delegates attending the Damascus meeting of the content of King Abdullah’s speech at the Riyadh summit last year. The king urged Arab leaders to give priority to winning the confidence of their peoples.
— With input from Agencies
