Ordinary Session Of 30th Arab League Summit To Begin In Tunis

A series of high-level meetings will begin in Tunis on Tuesday as part of the 30th Ordinary Session of the Council of the League of Arab States at the summit level, which will conclude on March 31

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th March, 2019) A series of high-level meetings will begin in Tunis on Tuesday as part of the 30th Ordinary Session of the Council of the League of Arab States at the summit level, which will conclude on March 31.

About 6,000 delegated from 21 Arab League member states are expected to participate in the event.

The program of the session includes a preparatory meeting of senior officials of the Arab League's Economic and Social Council on Tuesday, a meeting of permanent representatives on the following day, a ministerial meeting of the Economic and Social Council on Thursday, a preparatory meeting for the summit at the level of foreign ministers on Friday and the reception of Arab League states' leaders on Saturday. The annual summit of the Arab League will take place on Sunday, March 31.

According to Mahmoud Afifi, the spokesman for the Arab League secretary general, the summit's agenda comprises around 20 topics for discussion.

Media reported that the summit participants will, in particular, discuss reinstatement of Syria's membership in the Arab League, issues related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the situation in Libya and the ongoing conflict in Yemen among other issues.

At the same time, other media reports said citing Afifi that the discussion of possible Syria's return to the organization was not on the agenda of the summit.

Lebanon, Algeria, Iraq, Tunisia, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Bahrain have already voiced their support for reinstating Syria in the organization. Palestine also wants Syria to be allowed to return to the Arab League. Saudi Arabia and Qatar expressed their opposition to Syria's return to the Arab League. According to Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Syria may rejoin the organization only if all other members support this initiative.

Besides high-ranking officials from the Arab League member countries, the summit will be attended by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, head of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat and Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen.