Arab Summit to focus on common challenges to national security

Kicking off in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh Saturday, the Arab Summit will focus on common challenges to Arab national security, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.
Arab leaders will be discussing an upgraded Arab action to counter those challenges, atop of which terrorism, Badr Abdel Aati, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said.
Crises in Syria, Iraq and Libya will figure high in the summit, Abdel Aati added.
He stressed the need for Arab countries to find a way to solve those crises in order to regain stability.
The legitimate aspirations of the Arab peoples should also be taken into consideration, the spokesman said.
He pointed to a meeting of top officials of the economic and social council that started in Sharm el Sheikh today.
On March 24, a meeting of permanent representatives to the Arab League will be held.
Arab economy and trade ministers are set to meet a day later, Abdel Aati said, adding that foreign ministers will get together on March 26 to prepare for the summit. The ministers will refer recommendations and draft resolutions on boosting joint Arab action to the summit, slated for March 28-29, he noted.
Egypt is expected to play a major role in settling conflicts that affect the Arab national security, the spokesman said.
The summit comes two weeks after a successful Egypt Economic Development Conference (EEDC) that was also held in Sharm el Sheikh, Abdel Aati said.
The EEDC reflected a big interest in boosting economic growth in Egypt in the coming stage, the spokesman said, stressing that Cairo is capable of playing an effective role in supporting Arab and regional stability.
He said the Foreign Ministry is coordinating efforts with Egyptian authorities concerned and the AL General Secretariat to have a well-organized Arab Summit, whose outcome would reflect the size of challenges facing the Arab world.