Amr Mussa Praises Iran for Playing Key Role in Muslim World
Mussa said Iran has been doing a lot to remove the problems facing the Islamic states worldwide adding that it has a key role n setting the regional problems.
Mussa who is in Damascus to attend a follow-up Arab committee session told IRNA correspondent that the Arab countries are always in need of the Iranian assistance in setting the regional issues.
The Arab countries consider Iran as a brother state and it is essential for the Arab World and Iran to adopt united stands as for a wide range of issues in the region and in the world.
New plans should be drawn up to settle the crisis in Palestine, he noted adding that there have been incomplete programs to deal with the Mideast issue in the past.
As for the Iraqi issues, he said the UN Resolution 1441 would not allow the United States to take unilaterally military action against Iraq.
He said the Arab counties are deeply interested to profit from the high breakthroughs achieved by the Islamic Republic of Iran in various areas.
He stressed the need to expand the Irano-Arab cooperation at the regional and international levels.
He termed Iran as a very civilized country which enjoys high standing among the Muslim states and that is why the Arab World is so keen to expand ties with Iran in all areas.
He underscored the need for the Muslim states to exchange the experience in the various spheres.
Arab foreign ministers kicked off talks in Damascus Wednesday night concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the US confrontation with Iraq.
Arab League Chief Amr Mussa and 11 foreign ministers were set to discuss a roadmap for peace that looks to establish a Palestinian state.
Syria and Lebanon have given a lukewarm response to the proposal which they perceive as not addressing Syria's rights to the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967.
The roadmap was discussed by Arab states last month.
The two-day meeting gathers the foreign ministers of Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen and the Palestinian Authority, who make up with Mussa a follow-up committee for an Arab peace initiative.
A top official participating in the talks said the ministers were looking to forge common Arab positions on Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Arab League talks are also set to review Arab states' financial aid to the Palestinian Authority. In March, Arab states pledged to give 55 million dollars a month to the Palestinians, but that amount has not been met, an Arab League source said.
For his part, Mussa on Wednesday said "resistance" was the only way for the Palestinians to end Israel's occupation of their land.