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Gaps Remain Among Arab FMs over Issues to Be Tackled: Sudanese FM
Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Othman Ismail said on Saturday that differences still existed among Arab foreign ministers on issues to be submitted to the upcoming two-day Arab summit, due to open on Tuesday.
Emerging from discussions during Arab foreign ministerial preparatory meetings for the summit, Isamil told reporters that the main gap remained on the Iraq issue, as Kuwait and Saudi Arab insisted on an Iraqi official apology to Kuwait for its 1990 invasion as a precondition for their reconciliation with Iraq.
The Arab world is faced with many outstanding issues accumulated in recent years and it is difficult to solve these issues at one meeting, he said, adding that Arab foreign ministers were working hard to seek solutions acceptable to all sides.
Regarding the Palestinian causes and the Palestinian Intifada (uprising) against Israeli aggressions, a consensus has been reached among all Arab countries to submit the issue to the summit, he said.
However, he said that the only difference over the Palestinian issue is how to provide financial aid to the Palestinians, including 1 billion U.S. dollars for two funds pledged at the Arab summit held in Cairo last October.
Of the funds, the al-Qods Fund with 200 million dollars is aimed at maintaining the Arab and Islamic identity of Jerusalem and supporting the Palestinian economy, while the 800-million-dollar al-Aqsa Intifada Fund is designed to support families of the Palestinians killed in the Israeli-Palestinians clashes erupting last September.��
The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) hoped that the aid would be provided with its involvement, while Arab donar countries intended to give money directly to the Palestinian families without the involvement of the PNA.
The Sudanese minister also said that the issues to be recommended to the Arab summit for discussion must be agreed by all foreign ministers attending the preparatory meeting. The issues with differences will not be submitted to the summit.
The foreign ministers were working hard to iron out the differences, he added.
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