SHARM EL-SHEIKH, 2 March 2003 — Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, announced yesterday that he was postponing the presentation of his major initiative for reforming the Arab condition until the next Arab summit scheduled to take place in Tunis.
Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal told a press conference here that the crown prince decided to postpone the presentation in order to provide Arab leaders with more time to discuss the pressing issues of Iraq and Palestine.
The postponement, he said, would also help Arab countries study the document thoroughly.
“The Arab reform document is credible,” Prince Saud said, adding that Arab leaders must be convinced of its importance to translate the initiative into a reality.
Prince Abdullah’s plan calls for more internal reforms and greater political participation in Arab countries. The document also rejects any illegal external aggression against any Arab state. It stipulates that Arab disputes must be resolved through peaceful means.
The initiative, which was to be presented at the present summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, urges Arabs to work earnestly toward the full implementation of a greater Arab free trade zone by the end of 2005 on the way to establishing an Arab customs union within 10 years.
Riyadh wants the Arab leaders to adopt the initiative in the form of a declaration, endorsing the new Arab charter as binding on all Arab states.
The initiative reiterates that the Arab peace plan, endorsed by the last Arab summit in Beirut, remains the minimum acceptable condition to establish normal ties with Israel.
Prince Saud said the crown prince came up with the new proposals in light of the worsening situation in the Arab region and the troubles being faced by Iraq and the Palestinian people.
