RIYADH - Egyptian and Saudi leaders meet Sunday to coordinate their position on the next Arab summit amid strained ties with its Syrian host over LebanonÂ’s political standoff and fears that the summit is doomed to failure.| An Arab Summit doomed to failure? Say it ain't so! |
Ahead of his visit to Riyadh, Mubarak stressed the importance of his alliance with the Saudis. ‘Saudi-Egyptian ties are the mainstay of pan-Arab cooperation,’ Mubarak told Saudi Al Riyadh newspaper.
LebanonÂ’s political ordeal is not only polarizing its own rival blocs, but also major Arab rivals. Riyadh and Cairo with their backing of the Lebanese majority government seem to have intractable disagreements with Syria, which backs the opposition.
Mubarak and Abdullah will reaffirm their declared position that the election of a Lebanese president - a post that has been vacant since November - is a prerequisite to a successful Arab summit. But diplomatic sources in Riyadh refused to say whether Mubarak and Abdullah would boycott the summit in response to SyriaÂ’s perceived interference in LebanonÂ’s domestic politics and hindering the election of a consensual president.
| So it's just posturing, much like the Arab summit in general ... |
‘Not a single Arab summit has brought all Arab leaders together,’ Dakhlallah said. ‘The summit will be held as scheduled but there is a problem with the level of representation. It is certain that many leaders will attend,’ he added.
| Just a ringing endorsement, isn't it ... |