Dubai: The fourth summit of South American-Arab countries will start in Riyadh on Tuesday, bringing together countries that represent close to to 700 million people.
The 22 Arab nations and 12 Latin American countries will be discussing a number of issues, among them the Palestinian cause, in addition to topics connected with the Middle East region such as the crises in Syria, Yemen, and Libya as well as the British-Argentinean dispute over the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands.
The UAE delegation will be led by High Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Issues of economic importance will also be discussed which will help in further promoting commercial exchange which reached around $30 billion in 2014 after being only $6 billion in 2005.
Foreign ministry officials of Arab and South American countries met in Riyadh on Saturday to pave the way for the summit, known as ASPA, that will run until Wednesday.
Speaking at and chairing the meeting of the foreign ministry officials, Turki Bin Saud, undersecretary of the Saudi foreign ministry, noted the success of the previous three summits, stressing at the same time the close proximity of views of Arab and South American officials on a plethora of world issues, the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported.
The summit draft declaration, excerpts of which have been already published by the press, calls on the Israeli regime to withdraw immediately from all occupied Arab territories, including the Syrian Golan Heights and Lebanese territories, according to KUNA. The declaration also praises the $274 million donation of Saudi King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz for relief action in Yemen and the initiative by Bahraini King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa, on forming an Arab human rights tribunal. It welcomes the truce declaration, issued by Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas, in Cairo, according to an Egyptian initiative, and the national dialogue in Sudan. It also denounces terrorism, rejects its linkage to any religion, race or culture, affirms commitment to preserving Syria’s territorial sanctity and the necessity of resuming the political conciliation process for Yemen.
A forum due to be held on the summit’s sidelines will group businessmen from the two regions to tackle issues such as maritime transport, mutual cooperation in economic, tourist, financial services, investment, industrial, agricultural and energy sectors.
Saudi Finance Minister Ebrahim Al Assaf was quoted in Saudi media as saying on Sunday that there is a strong need to intensify trade cooperation between the Arab and South American countries in view of the promising opportunities available in these countries.
The minister was addressing more than 350 delegates at the Fourth Businessmen Forum of the Arab-South American Countries, which was inaugurated at the headquarters of the Council of Saudi Chambers (CSC) on Sunday.
He said 17 per cent of Arab exports go to the South American region, while 20 per cent of their exports come to the Arab world. Arab exports to South America include oil and petroleum products, fertilisers, iron and steel, while its imports include meat, grains, minerals and foodstuffs.
The idea of the summit was proposed by Brazil and its first meeting was held in 2005 in Brasilia, while the second summit was held in Doha in 2009. The last summit was in Lima in October 2012.
The objective of the summit is to ensure greater coordination between political leaders and civil society organisations in the Middle East and North Africa region and South American countries ASPA’s cooperation involves actions organised through five committees for economics, science and technology, environment, and social and cultural affairs.
