Arab summit due in Kuwait of high importance

Upcoming Arab summit to be held in Kuwait on March 25-26 is of high significance, as it comes during a period of critical developments and challenges in the Arab region, Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Al-Araby said. In remarks to Middle East News Agency (MENA) and a group of newspapers' editors in chief, broadcast and published on Tuesday, Al-Araby said Palestinian cause will be at the top of the summit's agenda, being the central issue for the Arabs. The Syrian crisis is also a top priority file, as the country will suffer a real collapse in case the current regime and opposition fail to reach an agreement, he added. Al-Araby will present a report during the coming summit tackling issue of the Arab League Charter that was drafted in 1944, in order to cope with the current circumstances, considering the major developments on regional and international arenas. The summit will also discuss means to boost economic relations between Arab nations through establishing small and medium projects, besides allowance of free movement of capitals between member countries, he said. It will also tackle establishment of a rail network, connecting the Arab countries, as well as supporting the private sector to contribute to improvement of the Arab economy, he said. Egypt will present an initiative for activating the Arab agreement of fighting terrorism, he said. The Arab League meeting will also discuss key issues like supporting "joint Arab action," exerting further efforts to make the Middle East region free of mass destruction weapons, besides launching a joint Arab initiative in the field of energy, especially new and renewable energy, he added. Al-Araby said the Nile water issue needs high-profile negotiations between Nile Basin countries, pointing out that he is not aware of any contacts tacking place between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia related to the construction of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. There is a number of international agreements that prohibit causing harm to any of the Nile Basin countries, and state the need for solving any conflicts between them through peaceful means, he affirmed