Several Arab leaders who arrived in Doha yesterday to attend the 21st Arab summit expressed hope that the meeting would boost efforts to reach intra-Arab unity and reconciliation at a period of great challenges. The UAE President H H Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in a statement issued on arrival yesterday said the summit is being held amid extremely significant circumstances which necessitate cooperation, understanding and coordination among Arab states to reach common visions and unified position. He expressed confidence that the summit would boost efforts to reach intra-Arab reconciliation. “The United Arab Emirates will spare no effort to support each and every effort to further strengthen pan-Arab solidarity as well as to forge a unified Arab stance to deal with the Arab, regional and international issues and counter the common challenges…We hope that our wills would converge to forge effective pan-Arab positions to counter the current challenges facing our Arab Nation.” “This Summit is being held amid extremely significant circumstances where our Arab Nation is going through hard times and is facing several increasing challenges and perils which mandate the activation of cooperation, understanding and coordination among Arab states to reach common visions and unified positions, particularly in the light of the increasing fast-paced global challenges, crises and perils, in order to strengthen our political will, unify our ranks,” he added. Al Nahyan further said there was no alternative to a Palestinian reconciliation to protect the interests of the Palestinian people, in particular in the light of the hard times that the Palestinian cause is currently going through. “We view the Palestinian unity as a historical responsibility and we hope it could realize its goal of re-uniting Palestinians and eventually result in a national reconciliatory government that addresses the whole world on behalf of all Palestinians under the leadership of the Palestinian National Authority, and stresses that the Palestinian Libration Organization is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people in its struggle to regain its inalienable rights to an independent state on its national soil with Al Quds Al Shareef as its capital.” “We are very confident that this summit augurs well for changing the Arab Nation’s track to dignity and high standing as well as to regaining its rights, protecting its holy sites and higher national interests,” he added. Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Saeed, the Omani Deputy Premier for Cabinet Affairs who arrived in Doha yesterday voiced hope the Arab brethren would adopt positive steps for enhancing inter-Arab cooperation, boosting joint Arab action and meet Arab aspirations for a more flourishing and prosperous future . “In light of the huge economic and financial challenges the entire world has been witnessing, it is imperative on the Arab leaders to reconsider all these challenges and act together to find the effective tools to deal with them to revive the economic and social development areas and provide a high standard of living to the Arab citizens,” he said. Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh expressed his confidence in the Qatari leadership on running the Arab Summit In an interview with Al Sharq, he said that Qatar’s diplomacy had played an active role to heal the rift between the Arab countries and to communicate with the European countries and the US on President Omar Al Bashir’s issue. Saleh said Qatar could complete what had happened at Kuwait summit and the quartet Arab summit held in Riyadh recently. The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani yesterday received at the Four Seasons hotel UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his accompanying delegation attending the Arab summit. Talks during the meeting dealt with mutual cooperation and topics on the summit’s agenda. The meeting was attended by Chief of the Emiri Diwan Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Saud Al Thani, Secretary of the Emir’s Office Sheikha Hind bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and Secretary of the Emir for Follow Up Affairs Sa’ad bin Mohammed Al Rumaihi. http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local%5FNews&subsection=Qatar+News&month=March2009&file=Local_News2009033021833.xml

Follow us on our social media channels: @ILQlive @ILQlive @ILoveQtr ILoveQatar