(AKI) - Foreign leaders attending the Arab League summit in Damascus will consider a proposal to eliminate nuclear weapons from the Middle East. Mohammed al-Khamlichi, assistant to the Arab League's secretary-general, Amr Moussa, told Adnkronos International (AKI) that the summit's agenda includes a proposal for a nuclear-free region and to only use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
This is the first time Arab leaders have put the issue on the agenda and talks are still in the early phase. "Arab cooperation on the issue of peaceful nuclear use is still in its initial stage," al-Khamlichi told AKI. "We haven't reached a stage where we can take pro-active measures or concrete steps, although many studies have been conducted and many committees have been formed for this purpose."
On Thursday foreign ministers from the countries that make up the Arab League gathered in the Syrian capital Damascus ahead of the summit to take place this weekend. There are 22 members of the league and three observers but not all are expected to attend the meeting. Lebanon, which has been without a president since Emile Lahoud resigned in November, has declined to send a representative.
The foreign leaders are expected to discuss the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. "It is still too early to speak about a peaceful Arab nuclear programme, despite the urgency of this issue," said Khamlichi. To achieve this, "we need to establish a strategic plan that defines the role of every Arab country in this region".
While international debate continues about Iran's nuclear intentions, no Arab state is believed to have nuclear weapons. Some Arab countries such as Jordan, Bahrain and Egypt among others, are believed to be trying to establish a nuclear programme for peaceful purposes. According to experts, nuclear energy represents the best solution for the Arab world's energy problems.
|