King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has expressed his hopes for this week's summit of Arab leaders to clearly address their countries' problems. He said, "The summit is an expression of a free and independent Arab who addresses the hopes and aspirations of the Arab people and supports every effort that protects joint Arab interests."
According to the Washington Times, Abdullah said he hoped the two-day summit, which begins Wednesday in Riyadh, would strengthen the Arab world's Islamic and national identity and help them meet their economic, political and cultural challenges.
Arab countries also hope to forge closer military and security ties, including nuclear cooperation. The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal said that Arab national security will be at the top of the agenda of the summit.
Al-Faisal said Arabs want to have their own "mechanism" to resolve regional conflicts such as Iraq and Darfur. Stating that, "experience has shown that Arabs can solve their problems without foreign intervention."
Additionally, it is reported that Syria's foreign minister, Walid Al-Moalem, has called for diplomatic ways to solve Iran's nuclear issue through negotiations. He said that any solution achieved should protect Iran's rights to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. He also revealed his country's worries regarding U.S. possible attacks against Iran, stating that, "we should never forget that Iran will remain neighborly to Arabs."
