Baghdad: The 34th Arab Summit commenced in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, with Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Al-Yahya leading the participating Kuwaiti delegation.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the summit features participation from Arab leaders, alongside UN chief Antonio Guterres and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, attending as guests. The primary focus of the summit is to address significant regional issues, notably the Israeli occupation aggression on the Gaza Strip.
The session began with an opening speech from the former summit chair, Bahrain, followed by Iraq's address as the new chair, a statement from the Secretary-General, and remarks from participating leaders. A working session was set to adopt the agenda and draft resolutions, with Palestine taking precedence in the discussions. Leaders are addressing political developments and exploring ways to revive the Arab Peace Initiative (API), along with deliberations on the Israeli occupation's violations in Jerusalem, detainee issues, refugees, and the role of UNRWA.
The summit also includes discussions on two reports: one from the previous summit presidency regarding the Follow-up Committee's work, and another from the Arab League Secretary-General on joint Arab efforts. Regional issues under examination include Iran's occupation of the UAE islands, situations in Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Comoros, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), and the Djibouti-Eritrea border, along with global climate challenges.
Iraq has proposed several initiatives during the summit, such as the establishment of an Arab Center for Drug Control, an Arab Center for Counterterrorism, an Arab Center for Combating Organized Crime, an Arab Security Coordination Room, and an Arab Fund to support recovery and reconstruction efforts in crisis-affected regions.
The summit will conclude with the leaders determining the date and host of the 35th Arab Summit.