During the meetings, the Arab ministers have welcomed Syria’s return to the Arab League….reports Asian Lite News
Arab foreign ministers met in the Saudi city of Jeddah ahead of the annual Arab League Summit, state media reported.
The ongoing conflict in Sudan, the readmission of Syria to the Arab bloc and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict top the agenda of the meeting and the upcoming summit, the Al Arabiya news channel reported on Wednesday.
The meeting also tackled draft resolutions that will be discussed during the summit, Xinhua news agency reported.
Saudi Arabia, which took over the rotating presidency of the summit from Algeria during the meeting, will host the summit on Friday that gathers Arab leaders to discuss regional and international issues.
During the meeting, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud highlighted the need for unity among Arab countries to overcome challenges, while his Algerian counterpart Ahmed Attaf called for joint efforts to overcome hurdles as the summit takes place under “special” regional circumstances.
Meanwhile on the sidelines, the Saudi FM also hosted his Syrian counterpart Dr. Faisal Al-Miqdad.
During the meeting, they discussed developments in the Syrian arena and the region, and exchanged views on issues of common concern.
The two sides also exchanged views on the issues on the agenda of the preparatory ministerial meeting.
During the meetings, the Arab ministers have welcomed Syria’s return to the Arab League.
The ministerial meeting, chaired by Prince Faisal, also discussed the draft agenda of the Arab leaders’ summit this Friday, and considered the draft decisions that will be adopted.
Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad confirmed that president Bashar Assad will attend the summit later this week.
Speaking at the meeting, Prince Faisal joined Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and the rest of the delegates in welcoming Syria’s return to the Arab bloc.
The Saudi foreign minister also called for Arab unity to confront major global challenges.
“We have to invent new ways to meet the challenges facing our countries,” Prince Faisal said.
Algeria’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf expressed concerns over Sudan’s unrest, reiterating his country’s support to Saudi Arabia’s effort to reach a ceasefire.
The ministers stressed the importance of a ceasefire in Sudan to ensure the safety of its citizens, and called for the crisis to be treated as an internal matter.