JEDDAH, 30 March 2004 — Saudi Arabia yesterday appealed for a fresh Arab summit “as early as possible” after Tunisia scrapped a meeting that was scheduled to start yesterday.
“The Arab world must look forward, not back” and create an environment “where the summit can be held as early as possible,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, as telling the Cabinet.
Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal held talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo, stressing at a news conference later the need for Arabs to put Tunis behind them.
During a telephone conversation with Mubarak a day earlier, Crown Prince Abdullah backed the holding of a summit, but also stressed the need for talks among Arabs to decide its date and venue.
Mubarak said Egypt wanted a fresh summit to be held within three weeks and believed Tunisia’s cancellation of the summit was utterly unwarranted.
“There is no justification for delaying the summit, and for one party imposing its views unilaterally without consulting others,” Mubarak told Orbit television in an interview.
Tunisia suddenly announced late Saturday that the summit had been indefinitely postponed as the preparatory meetings of foreign ministers had revealed unbridgeable differences. The division concerned how to respond to a US plan for democratic reform in Arab states and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Mubarak also discussed the issue with Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa. Moussa said he expected the summit to be convened within “three to seven weeks,” and added he would tour Arab capitals next week to sound out opinions. “I think there is no problem with holding it within two or three weeks. Everybody is waiting for the summit,” Mubarak told Orbit.
In Amman, Jordanian government spokeswoman Asma Khader said the proposed date for the summit was April 16, but it had not been confirmed.
The Egyptian government press center said Mubarak would discuss the summit with the Bahraini king and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Shara today. Bahrain holds the rotating chair of the Arab summit.
On Sunday, Egypt offered to hold a summit as soon as a date could be agreed. Several countries welcomed Egypt’s move, but Tunisia protested, saying it should still host the next summit.
“If the presidents want to meet again in Tunisia, I have no objection,” Mubarak said.
