Arab League Delegation in Baghdad to follow up preparations for Arab Summit

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: An Arab League delegation has arrived in Baghdad on Thursday to follow up Iraq‘s preparations to hold the next Arab Summit, scheduled to convene in the Iraqi capital in March, 2011, Iraq‘s Permanent Representative in the Arab League, Qais al-Azzawi said. “A delegation, sent by the Arab League, comprising four personalities on an ambassadorial level, has arrived in Baghdad today (Thursday) to follow up the preparations, carried out by the ‘Higher Commission for the Preparations of the next Arab Summit‘ in Baghad, led by Iraq‘s Foreign Minister, Hoshiar Zibary,” Azzawi told IraqiNews.com. He said the visit was taking place, as part of visits carried out by the Arab League‘s Secretary-General, Amru Moussa, in order to get acquainted with the security and material preparatoins for the holding of the Arab Summit. Amru Moussa had arrived in Baghdad on Jan. 8th and told a joint news conference with Iraq‘s Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, that his visit “took place as an opportunity to get acquainted with major preparations to host the Summit,” saying: “We have expressed our viewpoint to the Iraqi government on the significance of the holding of the Summit in Baghdad and spoke about the regional and neighboring states of Iraq, in order to help Iraq restore its outstanding role in the Arab World.” Azzawi said: “the recent period had witnessed several Iraqi visits to the Arab League, in which Iraqi delegations have expressed Iraq‘s readiness to host the Arab Summit in its scheduled time.” SKH (TS)/SR 506