By Xinhua
Cairo : Egyptian Minister of Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Moufed Mahmoud Shehab on Friday left Cairofor Syria to attend the upcoming 20th Arab summit, the Egyptian MENA news agency reported.
Shehab will represent Egypt at the summit slated for Saturday and Sunday in Damascus, capital of Syria, which was expected to discuss the region’s main crises, including the Lebanon situation and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The decision of Egypt and some other Arab countries like Saudi Arabia to send a low-level delegation to the summit reflects the strained ties between Damascus and moderate Arab countries over the political crisis in neighboring Lebanon, where the presidential seat has been vacant since last November when the former President Emile Lahoud stepped down. Arab foreign ministers wrapped up a one-day preparatory meeting at Ebla Sham Hotel in Damascus on Thursday afternoon, adopting a draft resolution on the Palestinian issue, the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Arab peace initiative.
Except Lebanon, 21 states of the 22-member Arab League (AL)sent their foreign ministers or other officials to attend the meeting during which they also adopted the agenda of the 20th Arab summit.
Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister and Egypt’s permanent representative to the Arab League Hazem Khayrat headed the Egyptian delegation at Thursday’s meeting.