27 April 2011
Cairo - The meeting for Arab foreign ministers over Arab League Summit in Baghdad will be held May 8, Iraqi representative to the league said Tuesday.
The talks aimed at concluding a vote over postponing or canceling Baghdad summit was due to take place on May 15. The summit, originally intended for March 23 was postponed to May 11 but now some countries are reluctant to attend the summit in Iraq.
Qais Azzawi told AKnews in the meeting the ministers in addition to settling the argument over the summit will also agree on a nominee to substitute Amro Moussa Arab League General Secretary.
After the recent upheavals in the region, in particular the events in Bahrain and east of Saudi Arabia, and stances taken by some statesmen and clerics in support of the people of Bahrain, the Gulf States put into force their decision to delay or cancel the Arab League summit in Baghdad.
The statements by the Shia Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki with regard to Bahrain protests, which were led mainly by Shia community, triggered rallies in the Shia dominated cities of Iraq in support of Bahraini protesters. They condemned the expedition of forces from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia into Bahrain to contain the protests. Many believe such stances led UAE which formerly supported the summit in Baghdad, call for not postponing but canceling the meeting.
"The reason behind the postponement is that many of the Arab countries are unstable, and others have no leaders, like Egypt and Tunisia," said Ali al-Moussawi, an adviser to Maliki, in an interview. "Postponing the summit has nothing to do with Iraq."
Another speculation for the reason behind the delay is that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states fear if they leave the country at this fragile moment where the Arab world seems quite restless, they may be ousted in absentia.
This is the first time after two decades that Iraq may have the opportunity to host the summit. During the rule of the former Baath regime in Iraq, the country hosted the Arab League summit twice, once in 1979 and once in 1990.
Iraqi foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, has repeatedly said by all terms his country is set to hold the summit on time.
Cairo - The meeting for Arab foreign ministers over Arab League Summit in Baghdad will be held May 8, Iraqi representative to the league said Tuesday.
The talks aimed at concluding a vote over postponing or canceling Baghdad summit was due to take place on May 15. The summit, originally intended for March 23 was postponed to May 11 but now some countries are reluctant to attend the summit in Iraq.
Qais Azzawi told AKnews in the meeting the ministers in addition to settling the argument over the summit will also agree on a nominee to substitute Amro Moussa Arab League General Secretary.
After the recent upheavals in the region, in particular the events in Bahrain and east of Saudi Arabia, and stances taken by some statesmen and clerics in support of the people of Bahrain, the Gulf States put into force their decision to delay or cancel the Arab League summit in Baghdad.
The statements by the Shia Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki with regard to Bahrain protests, which were led mainly by Shia community, triggered rallies in the Shia dominated cities of Iraq in support of Bahraini protesters. They condemned the expedition of forces from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia into Bahrain to contain the protests. Many believe such stances led UAE which formerly supported the summit in Baghdad, call for not postponing but canceling the meeting.
"The reason behind the postponement is that many of the Arab countries are unstable, and others have no leaders, like Egypt and Tunisia," said Ali al-Moussawi, an adviser to Maliki, in an interview. "Postponing the summit has nothing to do with Iraq."
Another speculation for the reason behind the delay is that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states fear if they leave the country at this fragile moment where the Arab world seems quite restless, they may be ousted in absentia.
This is the first time after two decades that Iraq may have the opportunity to host the summit. During the rule of the former Baath regime in Iraq, the country hosted the Arab League summit twice, once in 1979 and once in 1990.
Iraqi foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, has repeatedly said by all terms his country is set to hold the summit on time.
© AK News 2011
