UAE backs plan for Arab council

Khartoum: The UAE has expressed its support for a proposal to establish a pan-Arab peace and security council which would aim to resolve inter-Arab disputes.

The council is similar to an African Union council already working and will have a rotating membership of five countries the country which holds the chairmanship of the ministerial council, plus the two previous chair countries and the two future chair countries.

"The UAE fully supports the proposal," Mohammad Hussain Al Sha'ali, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, told Gulf News in an interview in Khartoum where he is part of the UAE delegation to the Arab Summit, which starts today.

He confirmed the Arab foreign ministers have approved the proposal. It will be forwarded to the leaders when they meet today, Al Sha'ali said.

Diplomats said the idea has been under study for a number of years. Under the proposed system, each of the Arab League's 22 countries will serve two and a half years on the council.

It is aimed to address disputes among the member states. The members may recommend dispatching an Arab peacekeeping force if necessary, according to the diplomats.

Al Sha'ali said today's summit will also reaffirm "commitment to the Arab peace initiative on Palestine, which will be reactivated."

He refuted press reports that the initiative, proposed by Saudi Arabia and endorsed by the Beirut summit in 2002, has been amended under US pressure to include the roadmap peace plan backed by Western powers.

The Arab initiative offers Israel full normalisation of ties in return for its withdrawal from Arab land occupied in 1967, including East Jerusalem. "The initiative was passed by the leaders. They are the ones who can amend it.

"The summit's final resolution will call for its re-activation in addition to a statement that strongly rejects any unilateral action that threatens the future of the peace process," Al Sha'ali said.

He was referring to the recent declaration of Israeli Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that Israeli borders are to be demarcated unilaterally.

He said the summit will also voice its support for the security of Lebanon, which has been in turmoil since the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Al Hariri last February. Relations with Syria deteriorated as many Lebanese accuse Damascus of involvement in the murder.

The Arab foreign ministers have not discussed the issue, including the controversial question of who represents Lebanon in the Khartoum summit, according to Al Sha'ali.

"But the leaders are expected to pledge all support possible to Lebanon."

Renewal of Mousa term not finalised

The renewal of Amr Mousa's term as Arab League Secretary-General for another five years has not been finalised, Al Sha'ali said.

He confirmed that there are few reservations over the extension to Mousa, who has been the League's top official since 2001. "The foreign ministers have not recommended anything in this regard. It is the sole responsibility of the heads of the member states," he explained. The summit will discuss an Egyptian memo requesting Mousa's term be renewed, sources said here. Algeria had proposed the rotation of the post among member states but Cairo refused.