Arab FMs meet in Khartoum to prepare for summit

Mar 25, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Foreign ministers of the 22-member Arab League (AL) opened in Khartoum on Saturday, preparing for the Arab summit to be held in the Sudanese capital on March 28-29.

Addressing the opening session, Abdelaziz Belkhadim, State Minister and Personal Representative of Algerian President and former chairman of the Arab foreign ministerial council, called on the Arab world to strengthen solidarity in order to overcome the critical problems it is facing.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol, who is the new chairman of the ministerial council, urged the Arab states to extend their support for Sudan on all levels.

During their two-day meeting, the Arab foreign ministers will discuss several issues which include the Arab and African cooperation, as well as the issues of Palestine, Iraq and Sudan’s western Darfur region.

The meeting will also mention about how to amend the statute ofthe AL and Sudan foreign debts.

In addition, the role of the Arab countries in supporting Sudan’s development and implementation of the peace agreement will also be discussed by the ministers.

The ministers will submit at the conclusion of their meeting their decisions and recommendations to the coming summit for adoption.

(Xinhua)