Next Arab summit to be held in Libya

Doha: A day before schedule, the Arab summit in Doha concluded late last Monday with an emphasis on the importance of dialogue to solve inter-Arab issues and an annoucement for holding the next meeting in Libya.

Sixteen heads of state attended the meeting, which witnessed a Saudi-Libyan spat shortly after opening.

However, a Libyan source confirmed to Gulf News that the issue has been completely solved.

Both King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi have agreed "on exhange visits, but no dates have been agreed upon at this stage," the source added.

In the closing session, Qatari Emir Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani announced that according to the periodical arrangement, the next summit was supposed to be held in Iraq.

Iraqi Prime Minsiter Nouri Al Malki said holding the summit in Iraq means alot to the country. However, Iraq needs more time to prepare in an "appropriate way for the summit and the Arab leaders..... Iraq reserves for itself the right to host the summit in 2011," Al Maliki said.

Meanwhile, Libya will host the 2010 Arab Summit, Shaikh Khalifa said.

Issues discussed

The one-day summit in Doha discussed several issues including the inter-Arab differences, future of the peace process in light of a right wing government in Israel and the international arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al Bashir for alledged war crimes in Darfur.

Al Bashir thanked the summit for its "strong" support to Sudan and its rejection to the arrest warrant.

Doha Declaration

Meanwhile, the summit adopted the "Doha Declaration" which summarises the Arab leaders' positions vis-a-vis various issues facing the Arab League member states.

The signatory states, "support our committment to Arab unity," read the first item on the declaration. They also "emphasise the settlement of differences through constructive dialogue," read the second.

The Doha summit also expressed its support to the Palestinian people and their resistance, called on Israel to end its unilateral moves in the Palestinian territories, and expressed hope that Iran will respond to UAE's calls to solve the issue of the three UAE islands occupied by Iran.