ABBAS TO ATTEND ECONOMIC SUMMIT IN SAUDI ARABIA

Bethlehem, 8 Rabiul Awwal 1434/20 January 2013 (MINA) – President Mahmoud Abbas will attend the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit due to be held in Saudi Arabia on Monday and Tuesday (21-22), a Palestinian official said.

The Palestinian’s foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki and finance minister Jawad al-Naji met with their counterparts in Riyadh on Saturday (19/1) in preparation for the summit, with al-Maliki delivering a speech on financial sanctions implemented by Israel following Palestine’s successful UN status upgrade in November 2012.

Abbas is scheduled to arrived in Riyadh on Sunday (20/1) to attend the two-day meeting, according to the Palestinian news agency, Ma’an report received by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).

Also Read: RAFAH CROSSING CLOSED FOR THE SIXTH DAY IN A ROW

During his speech, al-Maliki thanked Saudi Arabia for pledging $100 million to the Palestinian on Wednesday (16/1).

The first Arab Economic and Social Development Summit was held in Kuwait in 2009 and the second in Sharm el-Sheikh in 2011.

The summit, which is to take place on Monday and Tuesday at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center in Riyadh, will focus on the topics of interest recommended by the previous summits.

They are pan-Arab investments, unified agreement to invest in Arab capitals internally, Arab strategy to develop uses of renewable energy from 2010 to 2030, development goals for 2015, fighting noncommunicable diseases (NCD) and the establishment of a youth forum in Arab states.

Also Read: EU COURT REMOVES HAMAS FROM BLACKLIST

The meeting will also take up the recommendation made at the Arab Private Sector Forum,which concluded last week in the capital.

According to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, 21 Arab countries have confirmed their participation. King Abdallah of Jordan and several Arab leaders including Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi will also participate in the summit.

The conference is held under the umbrella of the Arab League “to develop joint Arab efforts and to support developmental issues in economic and social fields which were neglected due to the intense focus on political issues and crises.

The summit would aim at providing additional contributions to the Arab economic and social cooperation in a broader range for Arab projects by creating an economic base for supporting Arab countries’ economies and strengthening the Arab political systems ,thereby enhancing its role as a consistent group at regional and international levels.(T/R-010/R-006)

Also Read: Muslim Scholars Hold Solidarity Sit-In with Muslim Myanmar

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)