Randa Achmawi*
Cairo – The third meeting for high-level officials of Arab and South American governments will begin today (30) at the headquarters of the League of Arab States, in Cairo, bringing together more than 100 participants from all countries in both regions. "This is the highest number of delegates ever to participate in such a meeting," said the head of the Latin American Department at the League, Ibrahim Moheildeen. This will be another follow-up meeting to the Summit of South American – Arab Countries, held in Brasília in May 2005.
The Brazilian delegation is headed by ambassador Roberto Jaguaribe, who is the undersecretary for political affairs at the Itamaraty (Brazilian foreign office), and has another fifteen members, including representatives of the Ministry of Culture, of the National Library, and technicians from other sectors of the government, according to information provided by Ânuar Nahes, follow-up manager for Summit affairs at the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Relations.
Participating in the meeting are 60 representatives of governments on the Arab side, and another 40 on the South American side, as well as specialists in the fields of science, culture, technology and environment from both blocs. "In addition to high-level government officials, the meetings will be attended by several organizations connected to the League of Arab States, such as the Arab League Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Alecso), the Arab Atomic Energy Agency, the Organization of the Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (Oapec) and various departments in the League," believes Moheildeen.
According to him, the participants should form three committees dedicated to discussing three main themes: economics and cooperation, science and technology and cultural projects. "During the plenary session of the first day the possibility of creating a sub-committee dedicated to the discussion of questions connected to cooperation in the social area will be discussed," stated Moheildeen. According to him, this is a prelude to the meeting of Arab and South American ministers in the social area to take place in Cairo within the next six months.
Among the items to be debated at the meeting that begins today is the review of the joint declaration to be signed after the meeting of Arab and South American ministers of Environment, to take place in Nairobi, Kenya, on February 6, during the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) meeting.
In Cairo, dates should also be set for the next meetings of ministers in the area of Water Resources, to take place in Saudi Arabia, for the second meeting of ministers of Economy, to take place in Morocco, in April or May, for the meeting of ministers of Foreign Relations, to take place this year, in Buenos Aires, and for the next meeting of high-level government officials, to take place in six months time, in some South American capital.
*Translated by Mark Ament and Gabriel Pomerancblum
