Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (2nd L, front), King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (3rd L, front) and Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah (4th L, front) attend the Arab Economic, Social and Development Summit in Kuwait City, Kuwait, on January 19, 2009. Arab heads of state gathered on Monday for the first Arab economic summit, which is set to tackle the Gaza situation in addition to the impact of global financial crisis, infrastructure and social issues in the Arab world. [Xinhua]

The first Arab economic summit convened in the Kuwaiti capital on Monday, centering on the situation in the Gaza Strip and calling for unity in the Arab world to resolve the Gaza crisis.

The high-level economic meeting was attended by 17 heads of state of the 22-member Arab League (AL), together with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, with a slogan of "In Solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza."

Gaza -- dominant topic

Addressing the opening session of the summit broadcast live, host Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah condemned the past 22-day-long Israeli "invasion" of Gaza as "crimes against humanity and war crimes."

He applauded the resistance of the Palestinian people to defend their humanitarian dignity, withholding their natural right to establish an independent state.

The Arab world supports the Palestinian brothers in their resistance against the Israeli "aggression," Sheikh Sabah pledged, calling for an immediate and unconditional implementation of UN Resolution 1860 to pave the way for a full and unconditional Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories and lift the siege on Gaza.

The emir announced that Kuwait will donate US$34 million to enable the UN Relief and Works Agency to supply the urgent needs of the Palestinian people.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad also spoke at the meeting, saying the unilateral ceasefire announced by Israel did not mean the end of violence, adding as long as the Israeli troops remain in Gaza, there would be no end of violence.

He called on the Arab nations to support the Gaza Palestinians in the "fight for their own honorable military and political rights," with assistances for the reconstruction of the impoverished enclave.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak pledged to continue efforts to extend a ceasefire between Gaza Palestinians and Israel and help Palestinians reach reconciliation.

He noted that Egypt has made great efforts to support the Palestinians since the launch of Israeli attacks on Gaza, including a ceasefire initiative, delivering aid into the strip, admitting wounded Palestinians in Egyptian hospitals and facilitating Palestinian reconciliation.

Egypt respects the Palestinians' resistance against aggression and their right to fight occupation, and we need a practical solution to end the killing of Gazan people, not only "statements of condemnation" of the Israeli offensive, Mubarak stressed.

The Egyptian president also called on Israel to seriously consider the Arab peace initiative, as realizing peace in the Middle East is an urgent need.

UN chief Ban, while urging for Israeli troops' withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave, called on Hamas to halt rocket and mortar fire against southern Israel. This is the first step for securing a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, he stressed.

Ban also urged to establish an efficient system at Gaza border crossings to allow the inflow of aid, and underscored the need for Palestinians to reconcile to form a united government under President Mahmoud Abbas.

Expressed his "strong feeling of grief" over the situation in Gaza, Ban said he looked to the Egyptian president to continue efforts toward the implementation of a permanent ceasefire.

Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz denounced the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip during the past three weeks of intensive Israeli offensive which witnessed over 1,300 deaths of Palestinians.

"Israel must realize that choice between peace and war will not always be open to it, and the Arab peace initiative will not always remain on the table," he said.

The Saudi king said his country will contribute 1 billion dollars to Gaza reconstruction.

In his speech at the meeting, Abbas called on rival Palestinians to meet in Egypt and "reach an agreement" despite their differences even if it needs "hours of discussion."

Should an agreement be reached, it is expected to secure the establishment of a unity government that works to end Israeli violence, lift the siege on Gaza and open its crossings, and hold elections, said Abbas.

Arab unity – urgent task

The leaders at the summit conceded that division exists in the Arab world and called for unity in face of the Gaza crisis and other serious challenges, such as unemployment, poverty and education.

AL Secretary-General Amr Moussa said the solution to the crisis in Gaza depends on a unified Arab stance, which required swift restoration of inter-Arab relations as "the Arab ship is on the brink of sinking because of the many holes it now has."

He held that the Israeli offensive on Gaza was "a test of Arab stance" and continued divisions on the Arab front would only serve to worsen the situation.

Egypt's Mubarak also expressed his concern over the difference in the Arab world, as some sides aimed to separate the Arabs while others wanted to use the Gaza tragedy to expand their power in the Arab world.

Mubarak, however, voiced his belief that Arab countries will solve their differences and take into account their joint goals and interests.

As for the Arab split, the Saudi monarch warned that "Palestinian division is more dangerous than the Israeli aggression," holding all Arab leaders responsible for this weakness in Arab unity and calling on them "to overcome our differences and persevere over our enemies and to take an honorable stance."

Abbas also expressed his hope that Arabs would be able to overcome their difference, saying that the situation in the Hamas-controlled Gaza had opened the door for "a war of doubt."

Arab integration – common will

Meanwhile, the leaders also actively promoted Arab integration and addressed Arab economic, social and developmental challenges.

Moussa noted that a third of Arab world's population are illiterate while living under the poverty line, half of the youth are unemployed and 70 percent of Arab's surface area is under threat of decertification.

"Unemployment, poverty, and education are no less important than political issues because they affect our present and future," Moussa stressed.

Syria's Assad called on Arab nations to take further steps to promote the economic integration, saying integration can ensure less loss and protect Arab economies from future crises.

The Kuwaiti emir announced an Arab initiative worth US$2 billion to finance small and medium-sized enterprises and private sector projects, saying Kuwait will contribute US$500 million to the initiative.

The first-of-its-kind summit will continue on Tuesday, as its schedule, to address daily concerns of Arab citizens like poverty, health, education, railway network, electricity grid, fighting unemployment, establishing a custom union, food and water security.

It is also expected to set up a clear "road map" for Arab economy and all related social and developmental issues.

(Xinhua News Agency January 20, 2009)