Arab League Secretary-General meetings in New York – LAS press release/Non-UN document (excerpts)

Moussa Meets Talabani, Al-Jaa'fary & Ahmadi Njad 

Within the framework of his partaking in the UN summit, recently held in New York, Secretary General Amre Moussa of the Arab League of States continued his consultations over prominent Arab issues, including the latest developments in Iraq and Palestine.

In this context, Moussa met with Jalal Al-Talabani and PM Ibrahim Al-Ja'afary of Iraq. The consultations held by all three officials focused on the need of exerting all efforts required for supporting the safety of Iraq and its soil a matter that Moussa described as vital. Moussa also reiterated the Arab keenness to support the Iraqi people, with all its ethnicities, to ensure proper dealing with the political process in a manner that would lead to achieving stability.

During his meeting with Quartet Committee representative to the Palestinian territories Mr. James Wolfenshon, Moussa tackled the situation in the Palestinian territories during the post-withdrawal phase and the importance of supporting the Palestinian economy to overcome the difficulties it currently undergoes due to the aggressive policies enforced by the Israeli occupation. Moussa also tackled the need to develop a political horizon for immediate resumption of the Palestinian-Israeli negotiation.

On the other hand, Moussa held a series of successive meetings that included President Ahmadi Njad of Iran who addressed an invitation to Moussa to pay a visit to his country in order to investigate the means by which to boost Arab-Iranian relations.

Likewise, Moussa held a meeting with PM Tayeb Ardogan of Turkey during which both officials tackled the means of boosting the Arab-Turkish relations and stressed mutual keenness to develop them in a manner that would best serve the common interests of both sides.

Moussa also met with the Pakistani FM where they investigated the Arab-Islamic coordination within the framework of the Islamic Conference Organization.

During his meeting with the Italian FM, Secretary General Moussa tackled the Euro-Arab partnership, specifically within the framework of the Barcelona process, the tenth anniversary of which will be celebrated next November in a summit that aims to expand the horizons of cooperation in the Mediterranean region at political, economic and cultural levels.