CAIRO, 9 September 2005 — Arab League foreign ministers were yesterday to approve the opening of a representation office in Iraq, days after President Jalal Talabani lambasted Arab countries for their reluctance to send envoys.
At a summit meeting in Cairo, the 22-member pan-Arab organization was to discuss regional issues and agree on a date for the next Arab League summit, an AFP correspondent reported.
According to a draft resolution obtained by AFP, the body was to approve the opening of an Arab League representation office in Baghdad.
It will also “condemn terrorist attacks in Iraq which jeopardize peace and security” and the killing of an Egyptian and two Algerian diplomatic envoys to Iraq in July.
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal said ahead of the meeting that Arab League representatives would also discuss stepping up their diplomatic representation in war-torn Iraq.
“There are no obstacles to sending an ambassador to Iraq but it’s a security issue,” he explained.
Iraq President Jalal Talabani had voiced his irritation Monday over the reluctance of several Arab countries to send ambassadors.
The resolution also calls “on relevant Arab countries to cancel or reduce their Iraqi debt in line with the Paris Club decision.” Iraqi officials say they inherited some $125 billion in debt from the ousted regime of Saddam Hussein. The Paris club of creditors agreed in November to forgive 80 percent of the 40 billion dollars in debt it held.
The Arab foreign ministers were due to release another resolution calling for Israel to “withdraw from all Palestinian lands, including Jerusalem,” following its landmark pullout from the Gaza Strip, Egypt’s MENA official news agency reported.
The Arab foreign ministers will also discuss “a regional anti-terrorism strategy” in the wake of the deadly bombings that hit the Egyptian Read Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh and London in July, an opening statement said.
The summit was due to be held in Sharm el-Sheikh but had been postponed following the July 23 bomb attacks.
