Ukraine, Energy and Food Security… A Busy Agenda for the Arab Summit

The Arab summit will be launched in Algeria, on Tuesday, over two days, amid challenges and complex conditions in the Arab region, in addition to a turbulent global situation as a result of the Ukraine war and its repercussions of an energy and food crisis.

The summit, in its 31st edition under the presidency of Algeria, carries on its table an agenda full of several files and issues, in which the participants aspire to reach understandings that will be reflected in the region.

The Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ambassador Hossam Zaki, said in statements to TnT Universal Tv that the preparatory meeting of the Arab foreign ministers discussed all the items on the draft agenda of the Arab summit, in a consensual manner in preparation for the convening of the Arab summit.

Zaki added, in press statements, at the conclusion of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers today, Sunday, in Algeria, that the draft agenda includes all developments related to crises in a number of Arab countries, foremost of which is the Palestinian issue and its developments, noting that each of these topics has been prepared a draft. own decision.

He stressed that all the proposed draft resolutions reached consensus, and all the proposed items were approved, and none of its items was postponed to the Arab leaders, stressing that the foreign ministers agreed on everything, and all matters related to these items are clear to the delegation of the General Secretariat.

For his part, the spokesman for the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Jamal Rushdie, told TnT Universal Tv: The regional interventions were a major focus of the Algerian meetings, and that consensus was reached on all the issues raised.

The summit comes after a pause of about 3 years, as it was scheduled to be held in March 2020, but it was postponed due to the Corona pandemic, the fourth hosted by Algeria, and the first summit hosted by Algeria was in November 1973 while the last was in 2005.

The most prominent files on the table of Arab leaders, according to observers:

– The Palestinian cause
– The crises in Syria, Libya and Yemen
– The Russo – Ukraine war and its aftermath
– Terrorism file and its impact on the region
– Arab food security
– Energy crisis
– Turkish and Iranian interference in Arab affairs
– Arab League reform

exceptional summit

The former Egyptian diplomat, Hussein Haridi, told “TnT Universal Tv” that the Arab summit, although it is periodic, is exceptional for several reasons, including that it has not been held since 2019, as well as global, regional and within the Arab world developments.

The former Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister added that the Algeria summit is being held in completely different circumstances from the previous summits, and there are great hopes for new solutions to all the problems facing the Arab region, whether problems of a political nature such as the crises in Libya, Syria, Yemen and others, or the critical economic and financial conditions that require In light of the high energy prices, Arab support and solidarity.

He explained that the current summit will not deal with the position of Syria’s return, especially with the position of Damascus, which raised the embarrassment by not participating, and it could be postponed to another summit when the political conditions in the Arab world mature.

On the issues on the table of Arab leaders, he said that the most prominent of them are the Palestinian issue, the situation in Libya and Yemen, and dealing with the state of international polarization between the West, led by the United States on one side, and Russia and China on the other, and the position of Arab countries on the militarization of international politics.

Hills of Crisis

The academic specialist in international affairs, Tariq Fahmy, agreed with him that the importance of the summit lies in the fact that it is the first after nearly 3 years, but the absence of a number of country leaders may reduce the impact of the results.

Fahmy added to “TnT Universal Tv” that the summit will discuss the Palestinian issue, the crises of Syria, Yemen, Libya, Gulf security, the nuclear agreement, regional interventions, regional cooperation projects, as well as reforming the Arab League and developing its performance, as well as the file of the Renaissance Dam, in addition to the free trade area between Arab countries and ways to promote investment. Partnership between Arab countries, climate change and food security.

He pointed out that there are hills of crises, whether Arab or international, and their repercussions on the Arab interior, in the absence of a three-year meeting, and the participants are looking forward to reaching understandings that will be reflected in the region.

He explained that despite the absence of it on the agenda, as well as the reservations of some countries, if the participants agreed on the return of Syria, it would be an exceptional decision and that the implementation mechanisms would be at a future summit.

He considered that the most important thing during the summit is also to define a unified Arab position towards Russia and the United States, “there is a golden opportunity for the Arab countries to be more equal with the two parties, not half-solutions. Positive neutrality will not achieve the interests of the Arab countries.”