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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 26 Oct. - 1 Nov. 2000 Issue No. 505 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 26 Oct. - 1 Nov. 2000 Issue No. 505
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Palestine International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Arabs at the summit
Any meeting of Arab leaders is inevitably an event that attracts attention worldwide. Perhaps the Arabs themselves have yet to realise the full impact their collective decisions could have, if taken and enforced unanimously. It may be difficult for us to agree, but there are certain principles that unite us; and these we should always keep in mind. If we were to keep our eyes on our shared long-term interests (and they are numerous), we would find ourselves disagreeing far less frequently than is presently the case.
With all due respect to what was actually said in the course of the Cairo summit, I feel its most important consequence is to have established a system whereby Arab state representatives will meet periodically. The willingness to gather on a regular basis reflects a new direction in Arab politics, prompted perhaps by a new awareness that things cannot go on as they are.
Further, such a summit, if held on a regular basis, embodies a mechanism whereby Arab endeavours can transcend the obstacles that invariably come up once an emergency meeting is suggested. That in itself is sufficient for the summit to be considered a turning point in contemporary Arab history.
Unified Arab endeavour will no longer be an unfulfilled hope but an actual reality in process.
Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
