Doha to Host Monaco Club Summit Tomorrow

Doha, February 23 (QNA) - The Monaco Club Summit is due to begin tomorrow Friday at the Four Seasons Hotel here with an elite of prominent congregation including former and current officials, decision- makers, diplomats, as well as political and intellectual figures from different parts of the world also taking part. The two-day summit will investigate a number of hot topics in the international arena, primarily the "Arab Spring" and the Iraqi file after US military withdrawal, Iran's nuclear programme, and the future of the Arab-Israeli peace process. The opening session was attended by former French Prime Minister Michel Rocard, member of the French Senate and former French minister of foreign affairs Jean Francois Poncet, Club de Monaco president Claude de Kemoularia, in addition to political and intellectual figures from different parts of the world. The participants will also review other files pertaining to Syria, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen, EU relations with Southern Mediterranean countries, and the future of the Union for the Mediterranean. It is worth to mention that Monaco Club is a civil society intellectual forum founded by French diplomat Claude de Kemoularia in March 2002 in partnership with the heads of the Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI) and French Institute of International Relations (IFRI). The club has played a distinguished role in intellectual and opinion exchanges as well as in providing solutions to issues of interest in the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, and the entire world. During its sessions, sensitive issues are presented for an open scientific discussion between the north and the south with the aim of overcoming cultural, historic, religious, and political conflicts. This is under the conviction that the resolution of such problems lies within a collective approach to forgiving and fruitful discussions. Doha has hosted the Monaco Club Summit twice, the latest being in February 2010, where different issues were raised including reform, civilization clashes, and regional files with focus on establishing a Palestinian state. For his part, former Arab League secretary general Amr Moussa stressed that no peace was possible in the Middle East without finding a final solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. He said the club members discussed the Iranian nuclear programme earlier in the day. The Middle East peace process is scheduled to be discussed tomorrow. "Reforms, democracy and respect of human rights are vital issues to be discussed," Moussa said, adding, ''We also need to focus on the conflict of civilisations that had led to severe confrontation between extremists in the region. "The atmosphere (in the region) seems to be very pessimist on the Arab level. We do not see any sign of peace," said Moussa. He said the next Arab economic summit would take place in Cairo to follow upon the implementation of the recommendations of the last summit in Kuwait. Moussa lauded the effective Qatari role that helped solve the Darfur crisis. (QNA)