Lahoud reaffirms call for Arab solidarity
‘Forthcoming challenges’ must be faced Nafez Kawas
Daily Star correspondent
President Emile Lahoud reaffirmed Thursday Lebanon’s
position calling for “intensive efforts” to strengthen Arab solidarity and
unanimity, on the basis of resolutions adopted by the heads of Arab states at the Beirut
conference last year.
An official statement quoted Lahoud as saying at a weekly Cabinet meeting on the eve of
his departure for Sharm el-Sheikh to head the Lebanese delegation at the Arab summit, that
since the Beirut conference last March, “many important positions have emerged that
encourage us to adhere to our stand.”
“This is the stand we will make at the summit,”
Lahoud declared.
The statement also said the government unanimously endorsed this position and commended
the international stand rejecting the “unilateral policy” committed to by the
United States and calls for all parties to abide by the standard of international law and
to work to avert a war against Iraq.
It added that the government praised the position of the Vatican and other world church
bodies, particularly religious organizations in Lebanon “that had foiled all attempts
by the United States, Israel and their allies to give the wrong impression that the
conflict is both sectarian and between different civilizations and cultures.”
The Cabinet stressed the need for “preparation for the worst possibilities”
expected from Israel “which seeks to exploit all events to fulfill its designs,
freeze the Palestine problem, threaten security and stability of all the nations in the
region, and possibly displace the Palestinians.”
However, there is no reason for “panic or fear” in view of the country’s
united stand which conforms with Syria’s position, the statement added.
The Cabinet did not review what steps Lebanon should take if the Sharm el-Sheikh summit
fails to endorse the Beirut resolutions.
The president, who is the current chairman of the Arab League summit, is due to leave for
the Egyptian Red Sea Resort at midday Friday.
The Lebanese delegation to the summit includes Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Deputy Prime
Minister Issam Fares, Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud, the permanent delegate to the Arab
League Samir Qronful, and the director of political affairs at the Foreign Ministry, Naji
Abi Assi.
Hariri will be traveling in the afternoon after a ceremony marking the signing of a
Lebanese-French agreement on France’s financial contribution to Lebanon pledged at
last year’s “Paris II” donor conference.
Earlier Thursday, Hariri reviewed with Lahoud preparations for the summit. The prime
minister also met Hammoud before his departure for the Egyptian resort to represent
Lebanon at a consultative meeting on issues to be raised at the summit.
Meanwhile, the National Action Forum, led by former Prime Minister Salim Hoss, in a
statement Thursday called on the summit to take a “clear and categorical decision
banning the use of any bases, facilities or resources in any Arab country” by
American or other forces in launching war on Iraq.
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