The summit began with a speech by Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdratif al-Zayani as Manama served as the presidency of the 33rd Arab Federation Summit.
Zayani highlighted Bahrain’s commitment to rebuilding the Gaza Strip and supporting the ceasefire agreement, the Anadolu Agency reported.
Speaking during the opening session, Iraqi President Abdullatihurashid condemned “ongoing Israeli invasion of Gaza.”
“We reaffirm the company’s attitude of rejecting any attempt to replace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip under pretexts and circumstances,” the president said.
Rashid also emphasized the importance of collective security across the Arab world, calling for Arab countries to cooperate and protect it by saying, “We cannot fragment our shared Arab security.”
Among the most notable leaders attending the summit are Qatar chieftain Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, Egyptian President Abdel Fatta al Sisi, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan is present on behalf of King Abdullah, while Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam represents President Joseph Own.
The summit will also be attended by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez as guests of honor, with representatives from several international and regional organizations.
*The Arab Foreign Minister approved the summit agenda on Thursday. This includes five key issues and five initiatives with the Palestinian cause.
The summit is expected to tackle the conflicts in Yemen, Sudan, Syria and Libya as well as ongoing negotiations regarding the nuclear deal between Iran and the United States.
MA/PR