国际英语新闻：Arab economic summit centers on Gaza, calls for Arab unity

KUWAIT CITY, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The first Arab economic summit convened in the Kuwaiti capital here 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."

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, Jan. 19, 2009. Arab heads of state gathered here 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

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.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (front) attends the Arab Economic, Social and Development Summit in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Jan. 19, 2009

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 34 million U.S. dollars 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.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (front) attends the Arab Economic, Social and Development Summit in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Jan. 19, 2009.

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.