Tripoli, 8 August:
Foreign Minister Ashour Ben Khayal will lead . . .[restrict]the Libyan delegation to the special Islamic summit in Mecca next week.
The meeting, on 14-15 August, is to discuss Syria as well the plight of Burma’s Rohingya Muslims.
The summit was requested by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia who is hoping that it will be able to produce a united policy on Syria. The Saudi authorities have talked about the need to “address the sources of discord and division, reunify the Islamic Ummah and promote Islamic solidarity”.
In the hope of achieving some consensus, King Abdullah has invited President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad of Iran, which strongly supports the Syrian regime, to attend the extraordinary summit. He has accepted.
There will first be a meeting of foreign ministers to prepare for the summit. Khayal will represent Libya throughout.
Given Iran’s position on Syria, there is thought to be little chance of a forthright condemnation being issued or a call for action against the Damascus regime. The most meeting will probably be able to agree humanitarian aid of at least $500 million to help Syrian refugees. A forthright condemnation of Burma is, however, expected. [/restrict]
