RIYADH: A large number of leaders, heads of states and high-ranking officials from Arab and South American nations have converged on Riyadh Tuesday for the high-profile summit of Arab-South American Countries, to be kicked off at 1700 GMT. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman inaugurates the summit that aims to boost ties between two major economic blocs of the world.
According to reports, United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon is expected to attend the summit besides kings, presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers of Arab and South American nations. Most of the top foreign officials including President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi, and Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa have arrived on the venue of the summit.
Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam, President Rafael Correa of Ecuador, Somalian President Hasan Sheikh Mahmoud; Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE vice president and ruler of Dubai; and Speaker of Libyan House of Representatives Aqilah Saleh are also attending the summit.
Earlier King Salman received at the airport several Arab presidents and top officials including Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan, Egyptian President Abdel-Fatah El-Sissi and Fuad Masum of Iraq as well as Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas. Other delegates include Gulf rulers and King Abdullah II of Jordan.
Colombian Minister of Foreign Relations Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, President Mahmoud Abbas, PLO Chairman, Ecuador President Rafael Correa Delgado, Mauritania President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh and Tunisian President Al-Habib Al-Said are also attending the ASPA summit.
Smaller South American nations like Guyana is being represented at the summit by its President David Granger and Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge. This summit between the 22 Arab League members and 12 nations from South America will be their fourth meeting since 2005. The summit, held every three years, was first hosted by Brazil in 2005, followed by summits in Qatar and Peru.
Ahead of this two-day summit, Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby was quoted in a report as saying that the two regions have great potentials for cooperation. In fact, trade between the two blocs reached $30 billion in 2014 compared to just $6 billion, when the ASPA was initially founded.
