The first summit between Arab and Latin American countries was less successful than it might have been, reports Dina Ezzat It will be in 2008, in Morocco, when Arab and South American countries meet for their second summit. Brasilia last week played host to the first which ended with a declaration notable for its determination to pursue bi-regional sustainable economic and social development in a coordinated manner and formulating the mechanisms that might make this possible. The Summit of South American-Arab countries was attended by Argentina, Algeria, Bahrain, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Comoros, Dijbouti, Egypt, Ecuador, Guiana, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela and Yemen. The secretary-generals of the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council and Mercosur were also present, as were businessmen from both regions. Economic cooperation was high on the agenda of the event originally proposed by Brazilian President Lula da Silva and championed by Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa. The summit, however, ended up as a platform to express the concerns of a group of Third Word countries -- some, mostly Arab, politically and economically dependent on the US and others, mainly South American, defying US hegemony. The summit afforded Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a platform to speak, albeit carefully, against the continued Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to insist the South American- Arab gathering sent a clear message to Washington that Third World groupings can meet away from US hegemony. US requests to attend with observer status were politely, if firmly, refused by the Brazilian hosts who saw the gathering as an opportunity for leaders of developing countries with a combined population of 600 million to consider political coordination, economic cooperation and cultural exchange. The current chair of the Arab summit, Algerian President Abdul-Aziz Boutaflika, believes that despite the low-ranking Arab delegations many countries sent the event still offered an excellent opportunity for a new rapport between the regions not just on an official level but also at between businessmen. Other than Boutaflika and Abbas, only five other Arab heads of state turned up to a summit that had been scheduled for almost nine months. Jalal Talbani, the Iraqi President, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, Ismail Omar Guelleh, president of Djibouti, Azali Assoumani president of the Comoros Islands all attended while Mauritania, Lebanon and Syria sent their prime ministers and Jordan delegated a member of the royal family as King Abdullah's special envoy. The lack-lustre Arab turn out was a result, believe many diplomats, of Arab leaders disinterest in Latin America. "They cannot see the importance of South America for them. They can only think about the US, and if they are lucky about Europe," commented one participant. And even if some leaders did realise the political and economic opportunities the summit offered the fact that Washington had expressed concern over the Brasilia meeting dampened their enthusiasm. "For many there is only one concern, and that is to spare themselves the wrath of the US," the source added. The final communiqué adopted by the summit cannot have pleased Washington. Unlike many documents adopted by high level Arab meetings it squarely denounced military occupation and underlined the right of resistance against occupation. The communiqué, hardly welcome in Tel Aviv, was warmly received by the Arab press as a sign of a new spirit defying US hegemony. While Arab League Secretary-General Moussa lamented the low-level Arab participation he, like other Arab diplomats who took part in the event, is convinced that the summit could kick- start a new and closer relationship between the 22 members of the Arab League and the countries of South America. For Boutaflika, Moussa, Da Silva and Chavez, last week's summit was the beginning of a new partnership that will need effort from both sides if it is to flourish. Arab League sources say the South Americans were not overly upset at the level of representation. "They know," said one, "that it is only a beginning and that it will take time for this new rapport to pick up a true momentum... The trouble is that by missing this summit Arab leaders -- or some of them -- missed an excellent opportunity to broaden international sympathy with their legitimate causes." For Arab and South American officials in Brasilia last week the key issue, however, was to ensure that the first summit of South American- Arab countries does not end up as one more ceremonial event that leads to nothing. To avoid this, participants agreed on set of meetings aimed to build on the political, economic and cultural understandings reached in the 21- page Brasilia declaration. Later this year officials from participating countries and sub-regional groupings will meet at the Cairo headquarters of the Arab League to hammer out strategies to activate agreements already made, including establishing a centre for Arabic Studies in South America and one for the translation of books for both Arab and South American readers. Meetings will also consider practical measures to facilitate trade and economic cooperation -- especially in view of the fact that several South American oil companies are eyeing business opportunities in the Gulf and Iraq. Arab and South American economists are planning to meet in Ecuador at the beginning of 2006 while foreign ministers of the 34 countries are scheduled to meet in Argentina in 2007. Whether last week's summit and its follow-up meetings will be enough to ensure the 2008 Morocco summit comes off is not clear. That, in the end, will depend on the willingness of Arab countries to pursue stronger ties with South American states. "It is not an issue of representation at the Brasilia summit. It is a matter of perception and appreciation of what South American countries have to offer to the Arab world," said a senior Arab diplomat. "Arab governments failed to reach out in Africa and in South Asia. Let us hope they will not also miss the opportunity offered by South America."
