By Xinhua
Beirut : Lebanon may be absent from the Arab Summit scheduled in Damascus following a Saudi decision to sent low-ranking representation to the summit, local As-Safir daily reported Tuesday.
Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora’s press office announced that the prime minister had in the past two days contacted foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman to discussed the issue of Lebanon’s participance in the summit.
As a result of the contacts, “the probability of Lebanon’s absence from the summit is more likely,” the report said.
On Tuesday afternoon, Lebanese government is due to meet to decide on whether to send Lebanese representatives to the Damascus summit.
The upcoming Arab summit to be held in Damascus on March 29-30 is supposed to host heads of Arab states. But Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the Arab League Ahmad Qattan said Monday that he would lead his county’s delegation to the summit.
Saudi Arabia and Egypt have accused Syria of blocking the election of a new president in Lebanon.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu Ghiet said Monday the he fears of a poor turnout at the Arab summit in Damascus if the Lebanese parliamentary session to elect a president is postponed again.
Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri announced Monday the 17th postponement of the election session from March 25 until April 22.
Lebanon has been without a president since Nov.24, 2007 when President Emile Lahoud stepped down at the end of his term.
Arab efforts have failed until now in getting Lebanese political rival factions to reach a breakthrough.