Dhahran: King Abdullah II of Jordan opened the 29th Arab League Summit in Saudi Arabia’s Dhahran on Sunday, stressing the need for a two-state solution and condemning the US’s decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman also condemned the move, while emphasizing the need to have East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.
Saudi Arabia, which takes over the rotating chair of the Arab summit from Jordan, announced that the current gathering would be named the “Quds (Jerusalem) Summit,” a reference to US President Donald Trump’s decision last year to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel which Arab states condemned.
“We renew our strong condemnation of terrorist acts carried out by Iran in the Arab region, and we reject its blatant interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries,” King Salman said in the eastern Saudi Arabian city, without giving specifics.
He called on the international community to take a strong stance against Iran’s aggression in the region, as well as the militias that are cutting off aid to war-torn Yemen.
The Arab League’s Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said that major threats facing Arabs are all equally important and dangerous.
“Current challenges call for dialogue on priorities of Arab national security,” Aboul Gheit said.
He also said that the Syrian regime bears a great responsibility in the “collapse of its homeland and loss of dignity.”
Prior to the opening of the summit, King Salman received Arab leaders and heads of delegations participating in the 29th Arab League Summit at the King Abdulaziz International Cultural Center in Dhahran. (With Arab News)
