The two-day Arab Economic Summit will convene in Beirut on Jan. 19 as most Arab countries will not be represented at the level of heads of state given that the event will be held shortly before the Arab-European summit in Egypt’s resort of Sharm el-Sheikh next February.
The Beirut summit takes place despite an internal dispute caused by Speaker Nabih Berri, who has expressed his objection to inviting Libya after earlier calling to postpone the event over Syria’s absence.
Informed sources on Sunday ruled out that the summit, which is organized by the Arab League and is concerned primarily with development issues in the Arab world, would tackle, in details, Syria’s reconstruction.
The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that most attending countries would be represented at the summit by their prime ministers, economy ministers and high-ranking delegations.
“Arab heads of state and leaders would meet next month at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit,” the sources said.
They added that currently, there are no initiatives to restore Syria's membership in the Arab League.
Concerning Libya’s invitation to the summit, Minister of State for Combating Corruption Nicolas Tueni told a local radio station that sending invitations “is not the responsibility of Lebanon, but of the Arab League.”
Last Friday, the summit’s organizing committee issued a statement saying Berri has informed its members that he agreed on inviting Libya.
However, Berri’s media office said the information is fabricated and completely groundless.
On Sunday, member of the Amal Movement parliamentary bloc MP Ali Bazzi said his party is very firm in its position concerning the presence of a Libyan delegation in Beirut to attend the summit.
He said the Amal Movement is ready to take the farthest measures to prevent such participation.
On Sunday, Amal supporters removed Libyan flags placed along Beirut’s seaside avenue, as part of AL preparations to welcome countries attending the summit. The supporters replaced those flags with their movement’s green flag.
The movement objects that Lebanon builds ties with Libya due to the 1978 disappearance of the movement’s founder, Imam Musa Sadr, and two of his companions during an official visit to the country.
