Brazil to host historic South American-Arab Summit
Brazil will host an unprecedented Summit of South American and Arab countries next week, a move seen as one of the most audacious foreign policy initiatives taken by the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Representatives from countries across the two regions will discuss the possibility of political, scientific and cultural cooperation. There will also be a parallel entrepreneurial forum on business opportunities.

A preparatory ministerial meeting, held in late March in Marrakesh, Morocco, defined the meeting as the "Conference of Hope" aimed at opening a new horizon for Arab-South America cooperation.

Lula raised the idea of hosting an Arab-South American summit during his tour of North Africa and the Middle East in December 2003. The initiative was enthusiastically backed by Arab League chief Amr Musa.

"We have to privilege our links, because the present times of globalization require us to be more daring and creative," Lula said. "The summit will be aimed at the creation of a new world in which Third World countries play a new role."

The estimated cost of the summit, at 2.4 million dollars, accounts for 45 percent of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry's 2005 budget for international meetings. Army troops will be deployed inthe capital to provide tight security for participants.

The Brazilian Foreign Ministry expressed confidence that the 33countries which have received invitations will send their representatives to the summit.

One of the stars at the summit will be, if his participation is confirmed, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, who will be accompanied by ministers of his cabinet in his first overseas trip after he took office.

In early April, Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim and Arab League chief Musa jointly submitted a list of topics for discussion at the summit and said the political problems affectingthe Arab world will be addressed.

According to Amorim, the final draft of a joint declaration hasbeen under discussion by top officials for more than eight months.

"We will issue the joint declaration in accordance to the agreements reached, and also we will make a cooperation plan which embodies common goals," said Musa.

Without revealing concrete content, Amorim and Musa confirmed that the combat against terrorism and the peace process in the Middle East will be included in the declaration.

Israel and the United States have shown great interest in the summit. The United States even tried to participate as an observer, which, however, was rejected at the preparatory meeting in Marrakesh.

"We're interested in the interaction between the Arab World and other parts of the planet in moments when that region undergoes deep changes. It is a region that needs economic, political and social reforms," said US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Sources close to the summit said preliminary versions of the declaration included a demand for the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Arab territories, including the Golan Heights and the Sheba estates.

But the South American Jewish community this week voiced criticism of the declaration. The Buenos Aires-based Simon Wiesenthal Center issued a communique asking South American foreign ministers "not to allow a declaration that could be interpreted as an unspoken endorsement of the activities of terrorist groups."

According to official information, participating countries will be Algeria, Argentina, Bahrain, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, Guyana, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Somalia, Surinam, Tunis, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela and Yemen.