Jordan stands for joint Arab action

Another Arab summit concluded in Kuwait on Wednesday at a time when masses from the shores of the Arab Gulf to the Atlantic Ocean in Morocco show little faith in the efficacy of Arab meetings and the impotence of joint Arab action.

The 25th summit of the Arab League was convened at tumultuous times in Arab history: a civil war taking place in Syria, new Arab leaders coming to the fore, lack of progress in the Mideast peace talks, which means more suffering for the Palestinian people living under Israeli occupation or in the diaspora, as well as other regional conflicts and rising differences.

The summit was convened as despair among millions of Arabs was reaching new heights because of lack of resources, inefficient development plans, rising extremism, and mounting unemployment and poverty levels.

Some of these problems are beyond the capabilities of individual Arab governments, requiring regional and international efforts and joint action.

The Arab League, unfortunately, seems helpless in the face of such challenges; it can be considered one of the weakest regional bodies.

This is mainly due to differences between member states and rivalry that is now delaying a solution to the bloody conflict in Syria.

Arab cooperation with and under world and regional bodies can be termed as better than that within the Arab League.

Inter-Arab trade remains low, visa requirements between most states prohibitive and lack of cooperation the norm.

Arabs in the street usually joke that the only form of cooperation that can emerge from Arab summits is among interior ministers agreeing on means to repress their people.

Despite all of this, there are still efforts to breathe life into joint Arab action which, despite its futility so far, may still be considered the remedy to many of the region’s problems.

Jordan remains one of the biggest proponents of joint Arab action, whether under the umbrella of the Arab League or at bilateral
levels.

It has always extended its hand to all Arab brethren, sacrificing for Arab causes and opening its arms to those seeking its help in times of need. The country currently hosts more than 1.3 million Syrians.

Jordan has never despaired from trying to cement inter-Arab ties and joint Arab action, and has been supporting any effort in that regard, currently offering all its help to Kuwait, which will continue to be chair of the Arab summit and Arab action until the next summit convenes in Egypt in September.

His Majesty King Abdullah addressed the Kuwait summit on Tuesday, calling for activating joint Arab action as a means of meeting the aspirations of the Arab peoples and countering the enormous challenges facing the Arab countries.

This principled Jordanian stand is proof of the fact that the Kingdom will not save any effort, as usual, in support of joint Arab action; it aims to bring Arab cooperation to levels that meet the aspirations of the masses from the Gulf to the ocean.