Arab Summit 2014
This year’s Arab League summit was held in a Palace called Bayan which is in Kuwait. The summit was attended by 13 leaders of Arab states which included the President of Palestine, Abbas, Kuwait Amir, Qatar’s Tamim, the Egyptian president Adly and others. Other leaders of Arab states that were not present had sent their top-ranking delegations to the summit. The main theme of the summit was set as “Unity for a better future,” and was meant to confront various regional issues. The Palestinian dispute with Israel and Syria crisis were anticipated to be the top agendas of the summit. The summit aimed at hammering out resolutions that would end the civil war in Syria which has claimed the lives of several people. The Syria’s seat was empty since its membership was terminated from 2011, but the opposition’s leader was invited to address the summit.
Kuwait’s Amir stated that the Syria’s conflict which has claimed many lives and displaced millions was a moral, humanitarian and legal crisis, stressing that the violence is having negative impacts on the neighboring nations like Lebanon and Jordan. Amir of Kuwait called upon the Security Convention of the United Nations to establish a fast end to the civil-war in Syria. Al-Jarba who is the Syrian opposition leader urged the international community to assist the rebels with humanitarian support and heavy weapons for the interest of the Syrian people.
The summit as well highlighted the issue of the mounting tension between the Gulf nations since Bahrain, Saudi-Arabia and UAE pulled out their representatives from Qatar earlier this year. This was a first-move within the Council of Gulf cooperation’s history. The three nations blamed Qatar of meddling with the domestic affairs of other nations.
The summit as well discussed economic collaboration, terrorism and Lebanon security situation and the evolution of Egypt politics. The summit did not discuss the solution to the condition of millions of refugees in Lebanon and who are threatening the stability of that nation.