President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is set to participate at the 28th Arab Summit, today, in Jordan; the summit’s preliminary meetings were preceded by the meeting held between the senior officials of the Arab league’s Economic and Social Council in the last few days.
A large number of Arab kings, presidents and heads of Arab governments will participate at the summit; notably, King of Jordan Abd Allah II, King of Saudi Arabia, Salman Ben Abd Al Aziz,Yemeni President Abderbo Hadi, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Al Abbadi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ‘Abu Mazen’; as well as the Tunisian president Al Baji Qaed Al Sebssi, Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir, Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Emir of Qatar Tamim Bin Hamad and Vice president of United Arab Emirates Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The Jordanian government also announced that US President Donald Trump has sent an official envoy to Amman for attending the meetings of the current Arab summit.
The Arab summit will discuss significant topics and some Arab and regional issues of common interest, notably, including Yemen, Syria, Palestine, Iraq and Libya. Other cases and issues, which were tackled during the Economic and Social Council’s meetings, on the level of senior officials, will be upon the summit’s discussion including vital economic and social projects, including UN Secretary-General’s report on the joint Arab economic, social, development work and a follow-up report on the implementation of the decisions of the 27th summit in Nouakchott.
Additionally, the summit will argue a report on the activities of the specialised Arab organisations and a report, prepared by the Arab League’s secretariat-general, on the achievements and requirements of establishing Arab free trade zone, the developments of the Arab Customs Union and horizons of joint Arab work and ambitions of investment, in light of regional and global reshuffles. The Council’s agenda also includes the discussion of the Arab strategy for Aquaculture, which is prepared in cooperation with the Arab Organisation for Agricultural Development and the Arab League General Secretariat, and the operation plan for the emergency programme of the Arab food security.
The meetings focused on terrorism as one of the main challenges affecting the social development. The meetings previewed the Arab declaration, issued by the Arab Social Affairs Ministerial Cabinet, to support the joint Arab work for eliminating terrorism. Knowledge-based economy in the Arab countries as well as the mechanisms and challenges facing refugee and displaced people hosting countries were also  discussed during the preliminary meetings as one of the important issues that concern the Arab region, especially the countries surrounding the conflicts.
Dr Mohammed Momani, Minister of Information and Communication and the spokesman of Jordanian government stressed on the political, economic, social, development importance of the Arab Summit in Amman and its reflections on enhancing the capability of Arab nation to face the challenges against the Arab regional security system.
Momani: We reject any interference in the countries’ domestic affairs
Dr Momani stated that Jordan managed to insert the issue of refugees on the preliminary meeting’s agenda of the Economic and Social Council because of its importance and dimensions on the economies of refugees hosting countries such as Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt.
Dr Momani pointed out that Jordan is among the largest refugees hosting countries in the world as the Syrian crisis has placed considerable economic and social burdens on it. “The number of refugees in Jordan amount to 18% of the total population, 90% live in Jordanian cities and villages and only 10% in camps,” spokesman of Jordanian government indicated, adding that Jordan rejects any kind of interference from other parties in the countries’ domestic affairs. “There is a full Arab consensus to respect the sovereignty of states and not to interfere in their domestic affairs,” Momani stressed.
Momani remarked that the Syrian flag and seat exist in the Arab summit as the Arab leaders are keen on the unity of the Syrian territory and the success of the political process between the Syrian parties, hoping that the next summits will witness the representation of Syria again. He also referred that UN Secretary-General, international guests and representative of the Russian president- as Russia enjoys good relations and interests with many Arab countries- will attend the summit.
