PRESIDENT Bashar al-Assad headed to the Saudi city of Jeddah on Thursday to participate in the activities of the 32nd session of the meeting of the council of the League of Arab States at the level of summit scheduled to be held on Friday.
President al-Assad, received an invitation on May 10 from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of the brotherly Saudi Arabia to participate in the Summit.
The invitation was conveyed to His Excellency by Saudi Ambassador to Jordan, Naif bin Bandar Al-Sudairi.
President al-Assad conveyed his greetings and thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for the invitation, stressing that the Arab summit in Saudi Arabia will enhance joint Arab action to achieve the aspirations of the Arab peoples.
On Thursday morning, Presidents, Leaders and Kings of the Arab countries started to arrive in the Saudi city of Jeddah to participate in the Arab Summit scheduled on Friday.
A number of Arab foreign ministers affirmed that the decisions that will result from the summit will find positive impacts on the situation in the Arab countries, stressing that the summit is required to draw the first lines to start facing the challenges.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fawad Muhammad Hussein said in a statement to reporters that there are great challenges facing the Arab countries, including the Palestinian issue and the situation in Sudan and Yemen.
He said that there are different frameworks for dealing with these challenges and problems and managing all these crises, indicating that there is an initiative by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with other countries to reach an immediate cease-fire.
Hussein affirmed that Syria’s presence in the preparatory meetings and in the summit scheduled yesterday is a very important addition that marks a new phase.
For his part, Jordanian Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, hailed the preparations made by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which were reflected positively on the course of the preparatory ministerial meeting.
Regarding the situation in Syria, Al-Safadi said: ‘We are relying on the meetings of Jeddah and Amman and on the efforts of all Arab countries in order to have a leading Arab role that produces a real solution that addresses all the consequences of the crisis in Syria and ends the suffering of the Syrian people.’
For his part, Palestinian Foreign Minister, Riyad Al-Maliki, affirmed that the presence of the Syrian delegation in the Arab League meetings boosts the Palestinian stance, hoping the current Arab summit would be successful.
Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League, Hossam Zaki, stressed that the consensus during the ministerial preparatory meeting was the most prominent feature on all decisions which were submitted to the Jeddah Summit held yesterday.
Zaki pointed out, in a press statement, that there are several Arab understandings on a group of significant issues.
He indicated that the meeting touched upon several topics, most of them political ones, related to the Palestinian cause and latest developments in the areas of crisis and foreign intervention in the Arab countries’ affairs, in addition to adopting a set of decisions submitted by the Economic and Social Council.
The Arab League Assistant Secretary-General said that Syria’s return to the meetings of the Arab League is a new stage of dealing with the situation in Syria, calling for a tangible Arab contribution to restore security and stability in the Arab country and assist it to tackle all problems facing it due to the previous stage.
Zaki stressed that the Palestinian cause is a main axis of the entire the Arab situation, expressing Arab condemnation of the Israeli occupation practices in Palestine.
He expressed continued Arab political support to Palestine.
The Arab League Chief concluded by expressing the hope that the decisions of the Arab summit constitute an impetus to the Arab action and an attempt to contribute to settling the standing disputes and alleviate their impacts.
Also on Thursday, Syria’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Firas Kaddour, discussed with his Iranian counterpart, Javad Auchi, aspects of bilateral enhancing cooperation in the field of oil, gas and petrochemical.
Minister Kaddour stressed the importance of implementing the agreements concluded between the two countries in a way that supports the economy and helps face challenges and overcome obstacles facing the track of progress and prosperity.
He stressed that the exchange of experiences and the signing of memorandums of understanding in the field of oil and gas industry and its derivatives, contribute to the development of bilateral economic relations to the level of political relations in the interest of both countries.
The US occupation troops continued to plunder Syrian wealth, as on Wednesday tanks loaded with hundreds of tons of stolen oil from al-Jazeera region headed towards Iraqi territory.
A US convoy, composed of 42 tankers loaded with stolen Syrian oil left al-Jazeera fields in batches through the illegitimate al-Mahmudiyah crossing towards the occupation bases in Iraqi territory, local sources from al-Yarubiaya countryside told SANA reporter.
The sources added that the occupation, in cooperation with the pro-imperialist militia, SDF, has intensified plundering oil over the recent weeks from al-Jazeera fields, deliberately transferring the stolen quantities to its bases in Iraq through batches and intermittent times.
Minister of Culture, Lubana Mshaweh, called for the lifting of the unjust and unilateral sanctions against Syria.
The Minister received a delegation from the Syrian-French Friendship Association.
‘Syria, the history and civilisation, is looking forward to the future and is keen on overcoming all difficulties,’she said.
The Minister and members of the visiting delegation stressed the importance of cooperation to convey the reality of the situation in Syria, pointing out that the subordination of French policy to America harms the interests of its people and that it is time for French public opinion to be informed of the unjust unilateral blockade on the Syrian people.
- With the participation of Syria, the 14th International Economic Forum, ‘Russia – Islamic World: Kazan Forum’ 2023, was launched on Thursday in the Russian city of Kazan .
‘I welcome you on the occasion of the opening of the 14th International Economic Forum in Kazan,’ Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a message, adding that the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan warmly welcomes guests from many countries and affirms its position as a reliable and sought-after place for large-scale business activities.
Putin said that Russia traditionally enjoys close relations with Islamic countries on a bilateral basis and within the framework of interaction with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, stressing that these relations are based on partnership and respect for each other’s sovereignty and civilisational identity.
Putin said that Islamic countries are actively developing today and gaining tangible achievements in trade, the financial sector, innovation, and scientific and applied research, and Russia is open to the largest possible commercial and humanitarian cooperation with them.
