DAMASCUS, (March29th 2008)- His Excellency President Bashar Al-Assad declared here today morning the 20^th Arab Summit opened with a landmark speech, in which H.E. outlined the main guidelines for joint Arab action in bolstering of growth, development, solidarity, cooperation, coordination and search for just and comprehensive peace on the bases of related UN Security Council resolutions, legitimacy and Arab Peace Initiative. Here is the full text of the speech:

Welcome to Syria, who receives you with all Love, appreciations and hope that this meeting among the brethrens would be that of goodness to the Arab Nation, whose sons aspire for the realization of solidarity, dignity, and prosperity during a difficult period of its modern history. The convening of the Arab Summit in Syria in this critical phase is an honour and a great responsibility, of which we are proud, out of our deep faith in the importance of joint Arab Action, and its vitality for our Arab Nation, as to occupy the suitable place in the world of today. We have left no stone unturned as to prepare the appropriate conditions to make of this Summit a success; sought as to surmount many of the obstacles hindering its way; especially that we ,all, are aware of the difficulty of this phase and the exact developments witnessed by our region. It is no exaggeration to say that we are no more on the brink of danger, but rather in its midst ; where we fell the direct consequences of the danger upon our countries and people. Every day passes without taking a decisive decision in the interest of our national interests would make of any bid as to evade the catastrophic outcomes impossible.

Whatever our views regarding the nature of these dangers, their causes, and ways as to encounter them, it is normal for the sons of the one family to have varied ideas regarding one issue; undoubtedly, we all are in the same boat in the face of the tidy storms; and there is no alternative for consultations, solidarity, and for joint Arab action, as to unify our ranks, restore rights and realize development for our countries. Today, we live in a world witnessing very important changes drawn by international big powers. This made several countries form regional gatherings in bolstering of their power and interests; even if there were no joint denominators among them. Thus, it goes without saying for Arabs as to assemble and cooperate, considering that we have a natural national block possessing every success factor, not possessed by any other block in the world, and that we are living a bulk of challenges threatening our domestic structure, making of some Arab countries open fields for others’ conflict through the conflict among the sons of such countries; or making of such countries the target for aggression, killing, and destruction by our enemies.

Undoubtedly, there are obstacles facing our desires and aspirations for the realization of what we want. Though of our agreement, most of the time, on the objectives; there are some diverse visions and diverse mechanisms for dealing. This, however, is no problem when sincere dialogue exists. Our dialogue and deep conventions in the necessity for taking the initiative for adopting active stances would empower us as to overcome the difficulties through treating them in a realistic way with brotherly frankness and with true aspiration for the Arab higher interest.

Many summits were held during the past decades. We have achieved success in positions and phases, and have not in others. If the Arab condition is unsatisfactory for us; this is not linked to the summits themselves, as much as it is linked to the context of the Arab-Arab relations and the surrounding circumstances in the past and at present, which results were reflected on the Arab Summits. Nevertheless, we have been able during several phases to adopt the stances reflecting the interests of the Arab Nation, once the will for that persisted. If wars and occupations were to be among the most dangerous issues we have encountered last decades, the battle of peace was of no less importance; we ,all, have realized ,from long years , the importance of peace; and expressed this from more than three decades out of our belief in just and comprehensive peace, and our willingness to achieve peace, passing through Madrid Conference in 1991, reaching to the Arab Peace Initiative in 2002, which was a clear-cut expression for our intention as Arab countries together to achieve peace, if Israel were to express the real willingness to this effect.

Though of every thing we have made, and if the Israeli aggressive behaviour through all of its history is to be put aside; how was the Israeli instant response for this Initiative ? Israel overran the West Bank, imposed siege on the Palestinians, killed the children and women; we all remember Jenin Massacre and the hundreds of martyrs. Israel, further, continued to build the more of settlements, erected the racial discrimination wall, followed that with aggression against Syria and Lebanon, and pursued its political assassinations, worked without a halt as to push the Israeli public opinion towards the more of extremism and intransigency against Arabs, rejecting to respond for the requirements of the just and comprehensive peace; all of this takes place before the eyes of world and its incapacity to take a decisive active stance as to derail it from its actions, and under the title of guaranteeing the security of Israel, as a pretext propagated for by Israel and who support it to justify its aggressive actions! Apart from the concept of a unilateral security, as if the security of Arabs was not to be considered, which proves the aggressive viewpoint against Arabs, individuals and states; We underline that the security is never to be realized but through the peace; and not through aggression and wars which would bring but the more of suffering. The peace is never to be realized but through the withdrawal from the occupied Arab territories, the restoration of the rights in full. That is to say, the Israeli concept of security first is not realizable, because the occupation contradicts both the security and peace. If the security was not to be mutual including the Arab side, it- security- remains but an illusion never existent; save that when those who have this view- security first- were to suppose or were to be in waiting from the owners of the land to surrender to the occupation, or the for the free to accept being transformed into slaves! Considering the experience of history, such logic is defeated; even if it was to exist during some moments, it is but temporary and tricky to be followed only with the more of wars, destructions and blood.

We have never spared an opportunity but as to express at the Arab level our desire for peace; the last of which was through our participation in Annapolis . However, Israel avails every opportunity to prove the opposite, to prove its intransigency, rejection for the implementation of the International resolutions, and to prove its disregard for our rights and peace initiatives. The question to raise is whether to leave the peace of process and initiatives hostage for the consequent Israeli governments, or to search for choices and alternatives that would realize the just and comprehensive peace capable of the restoration of all the rights undiminished. That is whether to present unconditional initiatives, where they- the Israelis- select from them whatever they like and whenever they like, whether our initiatives are influenced by the aggressive Israeli policies, and massacres, or whether they were concrete initiatives unconditioned to timing or circumstances. This is a call for the revision of the contents of our strategic choices searching for balanced stances conducive to the requirements of the just and comprehensive peace, with all what that includes of the restoration of the occupied land securing the legitimate rights , on the one hand, and proving the minimum limit of steadfastness and resistance factors, as long as Israel rejects peace and persist in aggression, on the other. We today meet when the blood of the Martyrs by the Israeli massacres or holocaust, as they themselves have so called, in Gaza are still running before world silence, the wrath of the Arab citizen, and before the deplore form every living conscience.

We do voice our pain and condemnation for the killing, siege and destruction caused by the Israeli mechanism of killing against our people in Gaza. We express sadness over the conditions of division and separation at the Palestinian arena . The priority should be for dialogue among the Palestinians. We say to the Palestinian brethrens that your enemy profits from every division as to carry out the more of massacres against you, and your children, making no distinction between any Arab, whether Palestinian or from any other Arab country; do not fall into the trap of the illusion that the enemy is to distinguish between a Palestinian and another Palestinian, or between the West Bank and Gaza, neither between an organization and another. All this deem it necessary for you as to surmount any reason for difference, whatever this reason might be big; the unity of the Arab stance and vitality regarding the Palestinian Cause is necessarily influenced with the unity of your stance; the guarantee for you, the safeguard for your people and Cause; and the only path as to restore your rights; on top of which the restoration of the land, the return of the refugees. With this in mind, We voice our appreciations for the efforts of our brethren in Yemen, and support for the Yemeni Initiative as to resume the dialogue, which we see as a suitable frame for agreement among the Palestinian parties. We also call for the immediate lifting of the siege imposed on Gaza, by the Arab countries in prelude for calling on the world countries to do the same.

The peace is never to be realized but with the return of the Golan in full to the line of June 4 1967. The Israeli procrastination would never bring them better conditions and would never make us surrender a span of our land nor a right. Whatever concessions they have failed to take from Syria in the past would never get in a later stage. Betting on the factor of time as to negate the rights through the passage of time or by oblivion , as proved, is futile; hence the time has given birth to generations more committed to the Land and resistance.

As for Lebanon, we voice concern over the situation it has been passing through and the domestic division, which, up till now, forbids the non agreement on common national denominators. Though of the said in this regard, we underlined our keenness on the Independence of Lebanon, its sovereignty and stability. In light of the standing transparency with the leaders of other Arab countries, I think it is necessary to clarify the said regarding the so-called Syrian interference in Lebanon, and the calls, statements and pressures as to end them; honestly, I say to you that what has been taking place in reality is contrary to that said. The pressures exerted and has been exerted upon Syria for more than a year , and intensified from several months are as to get Syria interfere in the Lebanese domestic affairs. Our answer has been clear for every one who asked us to do such a work. The key for solution is within the hands of the Lebanese themselves; they have their Home, establishments, and constitution; they have the necessary awareness as to do that. Any other role is a helping one, and not the alternative. We in Syria are fully prepared to cooperate with every Arab or non Arab efforts to this effect, on the condition that any initiative is to be based on the Lebanese National consensus, which mainly forms the basis for the stability in Lebanon, which is our common objective.

The brother Iraq, suffering from hard conditions, requires from us to unify efforts as to support it and help it in the realization of its sovereignty, security, and stability, on the basis of the National Unity comprising all the components of the Iraqi people, as the starting point for the realization of the national reconciliation among its people ,reaching to the realization of the full independence and the evacuation of the last occupation soldier. The stability of Iraq, undoubtedly, concerns all of us; the Arab region and the Middle East in particular and perhaps larger in general can never be stable when Iraq is unstable, as it is today; the stability of Iraq is linked to its unity, which, in turn, is linked to its Arab identity and belonging. So that, we shoulder the responsibly of enforcing the Arab presence in Iraq in cooperation and coordination with its government. Notwithstanding the importance of international and regional support, such support, however, can never substitute our role in preserving the stability of Iraq and its Arab identity.

We underline the unity of the Sudan and its stability calling for supporting the efforts of the Sudanese Government in dealing with the human conditions in Darfur and the realization of peace, the restoration of security and stability to Darfur, rejecting whatever attempts as to impose solutions or dictations under the pretext of the human condition.

All of the mentioned deem it necessary for us as to build the best of relations with neighbouring countries with which we have historic links and joint interests as to realize stability in our region, find solutions for standing problems, reiterating the necessity for sorting out whatever emerging problems among us through direct dialogue and continued communication, which guarantee to eliminate the causes of differences and end concern regarding intentions.

Terrorism is on of the present challenges facing us. While we condemn the terrorist acts targeting the innocent and assert our decisive stance against terrorism; we reiterate that resistance against occupation is but the legitimate right for all people guaranteed by international conventions and human norms. We, further, reiterate that the Israeli state terrorism against our Arab people represents the ugliest form of terrorism in the modern age.

The Arab-Arab relations have witnessed increasing development during the recent years, especially at the economic level with the application of the Grand Free Arab Trade Agreement. Further, the direction of Arab investment towards the Arab countries promises the more of growth. As far as the educational and cultural levels, ahead of us lies a lot of work in the face of the dangerous foreign cultural attack influencing the belonging of our youth generations to their mother national culture. The basic to this effect is to work as to strengthen the Arab Language at the national level as the basis bearer of our culture, belonging, and memory; the loss of our language means the loss of history, consequently the loss of future. Before the Summit, there is the project as to link the Arab Language to the society of knowledge; so that our language is the language of culture and life preserving our existence safeguarding our civilized identity.

We have to pursue the process of domestic reforms which meet our national and growth needs, and complies with our cultural facts. We should never take it easy as not to reject any form of interference in our affairs under whatever titles, and regardless of whatever means implemented. The Experience of the past and today point to how much the price was heavy as to impose change from the outside , and how much the price was heavy to impose political or economic pre-fabricated formulas upon the developing countries.

The common denominators among us as Arabs are many and fundamental ; the points of difference, once are within the frame of concern about our Arab Nation, the strong building is a must in our Arab project, seeking to get it completed.

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