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Baghdad expects 13 leaders at Arab summit
Up to 13 Arab leaders are expected to attend the Arab summit scheduled for March 29 in Baghdad
By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
Manama: Up to 13 Arab leaders are expected to attend the Arab summit scheduled for March 29 in Baghdad, Iraq's representative at the Arab league said.
"My government has received information that between 12 and 13 Arab leaders will be at the summit," Qais Al Azzaoui said, quoted by Arabic dailies.
The official however did not give any names and stressed that Past Arab summits brought together between eight and 12 leaders.
Iraq earlier this month said that it had conveyed invitations to 21 leaders to attend the Baghdad summit. No invitation was presented to Syria after the Arab League in November suspended its membership.
According to Al Azzaoui, Iraq is fully ready to host the summit and that all logistical and security issues had been appropriately addressed and that the Iraqi capital and the international airport were under full control.
Oman Tribune on Thursday reported that the Iraqi authorities would change the venue of the Summit from Al Rashid Hotel in the Green Zone to one of Saddam's palaces.
Quoting an Iraqi security source it did not identify, the daily said that the new venue would be Al Radwaniyah Palace, one of the presidential palaces near the airport.
In Baghdad, the foreign ministry denied reports that it had received a request from the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) to arrest Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al Bashir if he attends the summit in Baghdad.
"The ministry emphasizes that this report is not accurate and lacks credibility. There is no note from Interpol and the protection of President Al Bashir is guaranteed one hundred percent like that of all Iraq's guests attending the summit," the ministry said in a statement.
The summit this month will be the third to be hosted by Baghdad after 1978 and 1990.
In the first Iraq summit, the Arab leaders decided to expel Egypt from the Arab League after it signed a unilateral peace treaty with Israel. The League headquarters were subsequently moved to Tunisia.
The second Baghdad summit was hosted by Iraq in May amid simmering tension between Baghdad and some Arab capitals, just a few weeks before the Iraqi regime invaded Kuwait.
gulfnews.com
PUKmedia 15-03-2012 14:43:22
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Up to 13 Arab leaders are expected to attend the Arab summit scheduled for March 29 in Baghdad
By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
Manama: Up to 13 Arab leaders are expected to attend the Arab summit scheduled for March 29 in Baghdad, Iraq's representative at the Arab league said.
"My government has received information that between 12 and 13 Arab leaders will be at the summit," Qais Al Azzaoui said, quoted by Arabic dailies.
The official however did not give any names and stressed that Past Arab summits brought together between eight and 12 leaders.
Iraq earlier this month said that it had conveyed invitations to 21 leaders to attend the Baghdad summit. No invitation was presented to Syria after the Arab League in November suspended its membership.
According to Al Azzaoui, Iraq is fully ready to host the summit and that all logistical and security issues had been appropriately addressed and that the Iraqi capital and the international airport were under full control.
Oman Tribune on Thursday reported that the Iraqi authorities would change the venue of the Summit from Al Rashid Hotel in the Green Zone to one of Saddam's palaces.
Quoting an Iraqi security source it did not identify, the daily said that the new venue would be Al Radwaniyah Palace, one of the presidential palaces near the airport.
In Baghdad, the foreign ministry denied reports that it had received a request from the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) to arrest Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al Bashir if he attends the summit in Baghdad.
"The ministry emphasizes that this report is not accurate and lacks credibility. There is no note from Interpol and the protection of President Al Bashir is guaranteed one hundred percent like that of all Iraq's guests attending the summit," the ministry said in a statement.
The summit this month will be the third to be hosted by Baghdad after 1978 and 1990.
In the first Iraq summit, the Arab leaders decided to expel Egypt from the Arab League after it signed a unilateral peace treaty with Israel. The League headquarters were subsequently moved to Tunisia.
The second Baghdad summit was hosted by Iraq in May amid simmering tension between Baghdad and some Arab capitals, just a few weeks before the Iraqi regime invaded Kuwait.
gulfnews.com
PUKmedia 15-03-2012 14:43:22
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
