(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) DEAD SEA, Jordan, March 29 (KUNA) -- The Arab League council's 28th Regular Arab Summit is due to start shortly Wednesday with the focus being on many political, security, and economic issues regarding the region.
The summit is attended by His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah who arrived last night to head the Kuwaiti delegation at the grand Arab event.
The Jordan summit is witnessing a large presence of Arab leaders, seeking to strengthen unity by bringing views closer and develop a common ground on several issues that needs to be dealt mainly topics such as the Palestinian cause, the crises in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Libya, in addition to the relationship with Iran.
Furthermore, the Syrian crisis will be one of the main topics up for discussion due to the lack of solutions to the long ongoing conflict.
Issues pertaining to the Syrian refugees and displaced individuals and means to properly address their situation will be among the biggest topics to be tackled by the Arab leaders.
Prior to the summit, Jordanian Information Minister Mohammad Al-Momani said in a statement that there was a draft resolution being prepared to support the Syrian refugees hosting countries, especially Jordan, which hosts around 1.3 million Syrian refugee, the biggest country hosting refugees in terms of its own population.
Al-Momani added that summit would cover various economic and social issues.
It will attempt to find effective solutions to strengthen Arab joint action at all levels to achieve the aspirations of the Arab people.
The summit will not end without underlining the need for Arab countries' commitment to find a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis through the continuation of a political process, namely by addressed previous Geneva conferences and international resolutions aimed at ending the ongoing war and restoring security and stability in the devastated.
On Yemen, the summit will reiterate its support for the constitutional legitimacy represented by President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, including support for a peaceful solution, and demand for the international community and all human rights organizations to take a quick and firm stance on violations and aggression committed by Houthi rebels.
Arab leaders also seek to coordinate their efforts against terrorism, which has become a global phenomenon that haunts the international community and strikes various locations of the world, threatening international peace and security, and leaving no doubt that it will occupy an important part of the Summit.
Arab leaders will review ways to boost measures dealing with terrorist groups and support Iraq in its fight against the So-called Islamic State (IS), which has been retreating and losing ground amid the Iraqi government's military campaign in cooperation with US and the international coalition in Iraq and Syria.
Al-Momani noted that they were all working to help Arab countries deal with the threat of extremism and they are at the forefront of fighting terrorist organizations, adding that there was "a distinct Arab security effort to prevent the flow of terrorists across the border, to drain financial funding to terrorists, and stop its repeated crimes and combat its dangerous ideology with firmness.
The 28th summit comes amid rapid changes that put the economic field as one of the major issues of the summit's agenda.
The economic factor is important because it affects all Arab countries, said Jordanian Minister of Industry Ya'rub Al-Qadat, in a statement to KUNA, adding that the summit would celebrate a "comprehensive" economic agenda that would boost economic cooperation among member states.
The Arab world is counting on the outcome of Jordan's summit with important decisions that will push forward Arab joint economic cooperation towards new horizons, and to move towards achieving the desired economic integration among Arab countries.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed AbulGheit said on the sidelines of the summit, affirming that economic development is one of the main goals and wishes of all Arab countries.
To achieve this goal, the Economic and Social Council preparatory meeting proposed a draft resolution on the development of a comprehensive strategy for inter-Arab trade within the framework of the Greater Arab Free Trade, said AbulGheit.
He added that another draft resolution also approved a strategy to facilitate Arab customs cooperation in order to enhance Arab trade security and limit risks that the Arab region and the world is facing.
On the social field, the Arab League Assistant Secretary-General for Social Affairs Ambassador Bader Al-Deen Al-Alali, told reporters that the Economic Council has prepared a number of important draft resolutions, which will directly have positive effects on Arab citizens in the social field, youths, health, education, and others.
Al-Alali added the council has finished redrafting the formula to Arab strategy for scientific research, after updating and circulating it to the Arab countries for feedback and views at the request of previous summits, pointing out that this strategy will be presented to Jordan summit for final adoption.
Last Monday, during Arab foreign ministers' preparation meeting, the ministers completed more than 17 draft resolutions ready to be submitted to summit leaders' today for final approval.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi described the meeting as "constructive and positive" pointing out that it reflects on the "spirit of responsibility" to work in a comprehensive and coordinated manner to meet the major challenges in the region.
The summit was attended by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Federica Morgini, African Commission President Nokosazana Zuma, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General Yusif bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen and the Speaker of the Arab Parliament Mishaal Al-Selmi.
The opening session of the summit will also be attended by US, French, and Russia presidents' envoys.
Jordan hosts the 28th Arab Summit after Yemen apologized for hosting it due to the current developments Yemen is going through.
The Arab League Charter stipulates that the members of the council rotate according to the alphabetical order of member states. (end) amm.mjb.mb
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