Arab Foreign Ministers to Debate Syria Resolution Calling for Talks
Arab foreign ministers met on Wednesday in Baghdad to debate a draft resolution calling on Damascus to end violence and hold talks with the opposition, on the eve of a landmark summit in Iraq.
The Syria crisis, in which monitors say almost 10,000 people have died in a bloody crackdown on a year-long revolt against President Bashar Assad, has loomed large over the first such Arab meetings to be held in Baghdad in over 20 years, which officials insist will tackle a wide variety of regional issues.
At least 10 visiting foreign ministers arrived in the Iraqi capital for the talks, which were attended by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and are also set to tackle events in the Palestinian territories, Yemen and Somalia, but have centered around neighboring Syria.
"Our brothers in Syria are continuing to suffer from the regime there," Libyan Foreign Minister Ashour bin Khayyal said, opening the meeting held in the Jerusalem room of the former Republican Palace in Baghdad's heavily-fortified Green Zone.
Syria, a member of the 22-member Arab League, was not invited to the summit and has been suspended from the pan-Arab body.
Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi earlier said "the Syrian subject will have a significant place in discussions" between foreign ministers.
"I think that the ministers' meeting tomorrow and the Arab summit will support" a six-point plan put forward by U.N.-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan and reportedly accepted by Damascus on Tuesday, Arabi said.
Annan's deputy Nasser al-Qudwa is due in Baghdad on Wednesday to brief ministers on the ex-U.N. secretary general's recent talks in Beijing and Moscow.
Both powers have been criticized for blocking U.N. Security Council resolutions condemning Assad's crackdown.
A draft resolution to be debated in Baghdad on the Syria crisis urges the "Syrian government and all opposition factions to deal positively with the envoy (Kofi Annan) by starting serious national dialogue," according to a copy of the text obtained by AFP.
It also says that "the Syrian government should immediately stop all actions of violence and killing, protect Syrian civilians and guarantee the freedom of peaceful demonstrations for achieving the demands of the Syrian people."
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari has said he expects a resolution on Syria, but added he did not think Arab leaders would call on Assad to step down.
The fallout from other Arab uprisings -- which toppled dictators in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen, and put pressure for reform on other autocratic regimes in the region -- are also being discussed in the three days of talks in Iraq.
Iraqi Finance Minister Rafa al-Essawi, meanwhile, told journalists after Tuesday's meeting of economy, finance and trade ministers that Baghdad had requested that Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Qatar, Morocco and Libya cancel its bilateral debts.
Iraq ran up massive debts, some of which have been forgiven, during its 1980-88 war with Iran.
Tuesday's meetings of Arab economy, finance and trade ministers focused on ramping up regional tourism, tackling water security and putting in place a regional alert system for natural disasters.
More than 100,000 members of Iraq's forces are providing security in Baghdad, and Iraq has spent upwards of $500 million to refurbish major hotels, summit venues and infrastructure.
Despite the dramatically tighter measures, a suicide bomber at a police checkpoint in west Baghdad killed one policeman and wounded two others on Tuesday, officials said.
A week ago, al-Qaida attacks nationwide killed 50 people, including three in a car bombing opposite the foreign ministry.
Source: Agence France Presse
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