31st session of Arab Summit opens in Algiers
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The work of the 31st Summit of the League of Arab States will start Tuesday evening in the Algerian capital, Algiers, with the ambition to unite the joint Arab action to give a new impetus to the pan-Arab organization and achieve a consensus among leaders on burning issues on the Arab scene.
This is with particular reference to the traditional Palestinian cause and the Libyan crisis.
The Leaders' Summit, which comes after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will be marked by the passing of the baton of the rotating presidency of the organization between the Tunisian President, Kaïs Saïed, and the Algerian President, Abdelmajid Tebboune.
The chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohamed Al-Manfi, will represent Libya at the 31st summit marked by the presence of 15 Arab leaders out of 22 that make up the Arab League.
Among the absentees are the King of Morocco, Mohamed VI, who finally renounced to participate in this pan-Arab meeting as well as the Saudi prince, Mohamed Ben Salman, the Emir of Kuwait, Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and the Sultan of Oman, Haitham Ben Tariq.
The other absentees are the Kingof Bahrain, Hamed Ben Issa Al Khalifa, and King Abdullah II of Jordan.
Libya, whose treatment of the issue has given rise to differences and controversy, particularly between the government of national unity and Egypt.
Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra said his country would propose new working methods to help resolve some of the existing crises, foremost among which is the Libyan issue.
Lamamra told a press conference after consultations between Arab foreign ministers on the draft "Algiers Declaration" on Monday evening that there was a proposal to activate the Arab League system to prevent conflicts and contribute to their resolution.
He considered that Algeria, under the leadership of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, attached great importance to press for a "Libyan-Libyan" solution, with the help of Arab countries.
He reiterated Algeria's commitment to Libya's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of its political decision.
Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Al-Mangouch of the National Unity Government referred to a divergence of views among Arab countries on the sidelines of the summit currently being held in Algeria.
She said that the Libyan issue was one of the most controversial issues in the views of Arab countries, as each side sees the issue "from a certain angle".
Algeria's permanent representative to the League of Arab States, Abdelhamid Chbira, renewed his country's support for ending the Libyan crisis through free and transparent elections in which all Libyans participate.
Chbira said in a press statement on the sidelines of the preparatory meetings of the Arab summit held in the capital, Algiers, that his country "encourages all parties to the crisis to dialogue and direct contact with each other, assuring that it supports the organization of parliamentary and presidential elections, to enable Libyans to get out of the prolonged crisis.
-0- PANA BY/IS/BBA/RA 1Nov2022
