Hasty Jordan meeting augurs dissonance at upcoming Arab League summit
Arab foreign ministers' surprisingly brief meeting in Jordan likely signals disagreement over regional issues such as the return of Syria to the Arab League and a US-proposed coalition against Iran.
Jordan and five other Arab countries are attempting to adopt a common stand on key regional issues ahead of an international conference on the Middle East to be held in the Polish capital, Warsaw, on Feb. 13, and more than a month before an Arab League summit in Tunisia. Two particularly pressing issues under discussion are Syria and Iran.
On Jan. 31, the foreign ministers of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, the UAE and Kuwait met at a Dead Sea convention center to hold consultations and go over bilateral relations and regional developments, according to a Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesperson. A ministry statement also said the ministers exchanged ideas on ways to deal with various issues in a way that contributes to solving the Middle East’s crises and serves pan-Arab causes.
The day before, the ministers were received by King Abdullah who, according to the royal court, “stressed the importance of Arab coordination on issues and crises facing the region, further enhancing joint Arab action in the best interest of Arab countries and their peoples.”
But despite the media buildup that preceded the event, it took the ministers less than 40 minutes to wrap up the meeting before heading to the airport. There was no final communiqué and no press conference — only a brief statement to journalists by Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi, who said that the meeting was "fruitful and positive."
