- Title: SYRIA: Arab Foreign Ministers start meeting ahead of Arab Summit
- Date: 28th March 2008
- Summary: (MER-1) DAMASCUS, SYRIA (MARCH 27, 2008) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF THE MEETING VARIOUS OF IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER SEATED SYRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WALID AL-MOUALEM ARAB LEAGUE SECRETARY GENERAL AMR MOUSSA EMPTY CHAIR OF LEBANESE FOREIGN MINISTER SAUDI FOREIGN MINSTER EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER CAMERAMEN LEAVING THE MEETING HALL
- Embargoed: 12th April 2008 13:00
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- Reuters ID: LVAF2M7OJ0KQYZS59YG8W42DTBH8
- Story Text: Arab Foreign Ministers start a preparatory meeting ahead of the upcoming Arab Summit, in an atmosphere of disunity.
Arab Foreign Ministers started a preparatory meeting on Thursday (March 27, 2008) ahead of the Arab Summit, to be held on 29-30 March 2008, in Damascus.
The Ministers, also meeting in Damascus, said they would discuss items on the summit agenda, including the Palestinian issue, the future of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, the situation in Lebanon, Iraq, Sudan and Somalia, and U.S sanctions against Syria.
Leaders of Saudi Arabia and Egypt are not expected to attend the Arab Summit, sending low-level officials instead, in protest against Syria's alleged refusal to defuse the political crisis in neighbouring Lebanon.
Syria, however, has refused to budge by facilitating the election of a Lebanese president, which has been blocked by its allies in Beirut since November.
Damascus describes the boycott of the event by Lebanon, whose prime minister was also invited, as the loss of "a golden opportunity". - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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