The final communique issued at the conclusion on Wednesday of the Arab League's 13 session held at the summit level in Amman

The Jordan Times, (Amman), [1 April 2001]

Amman - Following is an unofficial translation of the final communique issued at the conclusion on Wednesday of the Arab League's 13 session held at the summit level in Amman, under the presidency of His Majesty King Abdullah:

l. Upon the invitation of His Majesty King Abdullah of Jordan and in implementation of the extraordinary Arab summit resolution held in Cairo on Oct. 21-22, 2000, the Arab League held its meeting at the summit level at the annual ordinary level in Amman, capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on March 27-28, 2001.

2. The Arab leaders express their appreciation to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for its care and attention and preparations for the summit and the deep meanings contained in the opening address of His Majesty King Abdullah, the summit's current president, and decided to consider his address as an official summit document.

3. The Arab leaders express their appreciation to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak for his effort during his chairmanship of the extraordinary summit of October 2000.

4. The Arab leaders regard the meetings in Amman today as the first regular conference representing a new move in the march of common Arab action and has taken several resolutions and initiatives required by the Arab situation and tackling the nation's vital issues. In this light, the Arab leaders said restoration of Arab solidarity constitutes the basic support and the source of power for the nation and for safeguarding its security and fending off dangers posed to this nation and as an embodiment of the nation's aspirations towards integration and solidarity.

This conference constituted a prominent event and an opportunity to renew the pledge of commitment to the basic principles on which Arab common action is based, the respect for the principles that govern inter-Arab relations and safeguard Arab countries' vital interests and the attainment of inter-Arab agreements and national security.

5. With respect to the Arab League Charter and its objectives, and in an atmosphere of brotherly understanding, the Arab leaders studied the present prevailing situation and the challenges the nation is facing and the general situation in the region. They conducted a comprehensive assessment of the current circumstances at the regional and international levels, focusing their attention on strengthening Arab solidarity, reviving the work of institutions towards joint Arab action for the defence of the nation's interests and rights and Arab national security.

6. The Arab leaders reviewed the dangerous situation facing the Palestinian people in light of the aggression of Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinians, employing all forms and means to repress the Palestinians using internationally prohibited weapons and clamping an economic blockade on the Palestinians, pursuing the policy of building settlements, the policy of assassinations and demolition of Arab homes and pollution of the environment.

These actions have been flagrant violations of all agreements and principles of international law and norms.

7. The Arab leaders take pride in the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and their heroic Intifada in the face of fierce aggression waged by Israel, and their resistance to the brutal oppression exercised by the occupation authority.

The Arab leaders salute the martyrs of the Intifada, praise the spirit of sacrifice and steadfastness of the Palestinian people who have, with unrelenting determination and unlimited sacrifice, confronted the Israeli oppressive measures and aborted the de facto situation which the Israeli authority has tried to impose on the Palestinians and the Palestinian negotiators by force.

The Arab leaders declared their support for the Palestinian people in their heroic struggle and their Intifada, and the right to resist occupation until all national and just demands for the right to return, for the right to self-determination have been attained. The leaders declare that they stand beside the Palestinian people in their heroic struggle and support their Intifada and their legitimate right to resist the occupation until they achieve their just national rights including returning to their lands, determining their future and establishing an independent state on their national land with Jerusalem as their capital.

8. The Arab leaders salute the steadfastness of the Syrian people in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and their adherence to the national identity.

9. The leaders condemn Israel's continuing aggression against the Palestinian people and its massive violation of human rights, especially its collective punishment, its breaking up of the Palestinian territories and its continued attacks on vital utilities... which are tantamount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

10. The leaders express their extreme indignation at the United States' use of its veto in the Security Council against the draft resolution about protection for the Palestinian people... and express their complete rejection of the American justifications. This position does not conform at all with the United States' responsibilities as a sponsor of the peace process. The leaders call for a meeting of the parties to the 1949 Geneva Convention as soon as possible to take measures to guarantee the protection of the Palestinian people.

11. The leaders renew their demand for the Security Council to take responsibility for providing the necessary international protection for the Palestinian people suffering under Israeli occupation and to set up an international force to that end.

12. The leaders demand that the Security Council try Israeli war criminals who have committed massacres and crimes against Arab citizens throughout the Arab occupied territories and elsewhere.

13. The leaders welcome the decision by the high council for Al Aqsa and Intifada funds to respond urgently to support the budget of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) with a payment of $15 million from a $60 million approved soft loan.

They also commission the council to respond favourably to the demand of the PNA to extend an additional amount of $180 million to support the budget over the next six months. The leaders welcome the Republic of Iraq's designation of one billion euros from its oil export sales, in accordance with the (UN agreed to oil-for-food) memorandum of understanding, to secure the food and medical needs of the Palestinians and other essential supplies.

They commission the Arab permanent representatives in New York to follow up on this and facilitate Iraq's request (to supply the funds) with the Security Council.

14. The leaders demand that the countries of the world not move their embassies (in Israel from Tel Aviv) to Jerusalem. In this context, they renew their emphasis on decisions made by Arab summits in Amman in 1980, in Baghdad in 1990 and Cairo in 2000 regarding breaking all relations with countries that relocate their embassies to Jerusalem or recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

15. They stress again that a just and comprehensive peace in the region initially requires a complete Israeli withdrawal from all the occupied Palestinian lands including Jerusalem, as well as from Syria's Golan Heights to the borders of June 4, 1967, and from Lebanese lands still under occupation, to internationally recognised borders, including the Shebaa Farms.

16. The leaders warn the Israeli government of the consequences of turning its back on the bases and principles on which the (Middle East) peace process was launched in Madrid in 1991.

They warned Israel against proposing alternatives to peace that do not conform with international resolutions such as Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 stipulating an Israeli withdrawal from occupied Arab land. The Arab leaders emphasise that the Syrian and Lebanese tracks are concurrent and are linked to the Palestinian track, and they warned the Israelis against dealing with individual tracks separate from the others.

They stress again that a just and comprehensive peace in the region initially requires a complete Israeli withdrawal from all the occupied Palestinian lands including Jerusalem as well as from Syria's Golan Heights to the borders of June 4, 1967, and from Lebanese lands still under occupation to internationally recognised borders, including the Shebaa Farms.

The leaders stress that commitment to the peace process requires that Israel implement the agreements and obligations made... and the resumption of negotiations on all tracks from where they stopped.

17. Arab leaders hold Israel responsible for the Palestinian refugee problem and they reject Israel's attempts at settling the refugees outside their national homeland.

18. The Arab leaders demand reactivating the Arab boycott against Israel by holding regular boycott conferences which the Central Office of the Boycott (in Damascus) has called for with the aim of preventing any dealings with Israel.

The leaders decide... to continue to stop all steps towards, and activities of, regional economic cooperation with Israel.

The leaders renew their decision at the Cairo summit in 2000 to firmly challenge Israeli attempts to infiltrate the Arab world in any form, and from now on to stop opening relations with Israel.

They hold Israel responsible for any steps and decisions made by Arab states regarding relations with Israel, including their cancellation.

19. The Arab leaders emphasise their solidarity with Lebanon and Syria and they reject Israeli threats against the two countries, and the threats against Arab countries and the Palestinian people and leadership. They condemn the use of force, stress the need for studying this dangerous situation and call for a pan-Arab strategy that would expose Israel's plots and plans that threaten peace and security in the region.

20. They stress their support for Lebanon to complete the liberation of its lands still under Israeli occupation to internationally recognised borders, including the Shebaa Farms. They praise the role of the Lebanese resistance and demand the release of Lebanese people jailed in Israel.

21. The Arab leaders stressed that peace and security requires that Israel join a treaty for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and subject its nuclear installations to international inspection. They also stress that the Middle East region should remain free of weapons of mass destruction.

22. The leaders stress that commitment to the peace process requires that Israel implement the agreements and obligations concluded... and the resumption of negotiations on all tracks from where they stopped.

23. The Arab leaders appeal to all countries concerned with the peace process, including the European Union, to play an effective role in removing obstacles in the path of peace.

24. The Arab leaders urge the United Nations to play a greater role to help implement Middle East resolutions.

25. The Arab summit asked King Abdullah to undertake further consultations and contacts to improve relations between Iraq and Kuwait.

26. The Arab leaders congratulate Bahrain and Qatar for the settlement of their border dispute and they consider the settlement as a strengthening of inter-Arab solidarity.

27. The Arab leaders congratulate Saudi Arabia and Qatar for the settlement of their border dispute between them.

28. The Arab leaders reiterate their support for the United Arab Emirates in it struggle to regain sovereignty of islands occupied by Iran in the Arabian Gulf and urge Iran to end its occupation of the islands. They entrusted the Arab League secretary general to follow up on the Iranian occupation.

29. The leaders demand that the Security Council lift sanctions imposed on Libya immediately and permanently, based on Libya's compliance with the demands of the Security Council, because there is no longer any justification for their continuation under any guise.

The Arabs consider themselves free from any commitment to the sanctions in the event that they are re-implemented because Libya has fulfilled all its obligations as required by the Security Council.

The leaders demand the immediate release of Libyan citizen Abdul Basset Ali Al Megrahi (found guilty in January of blowing up a Pan Am jumbo jet over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988) who was convicted for political reasons.

30. The Arab leaders welcome that the leaders of the Republic of Somalia carry on and complete efforts for strengthening national unity, and they pledge to extend support for Somalia's security and stability.

31. The Arab leaders express their support for Sudan's territorial integrity and sovereignty and support the Sudanese government's efforts to achieve peace and call on the United Nations to lift sanctions imposed on Sudan.

32. The Arab leaders reaffirmed their keenness on supporting the national unity of the Comoros Islands and welcome efforts for achieving national reconciliation.

33. The Arab leaders express their deep interest in achieving economic integration among their countries and common Arab action in order to protect their national interests and strengthen their national economies.

34. The Arab leaders express their appreciation and support for the steps taken towards establishing a pan-Arab free trade zone and have decided to remove all customs restrictions. The have decided that each country should treat all Arab countries' goods as national products.

35. They stress the importance of speeding up the process of merging commercial services within the framework of a free trade agreement. They entrust the Arab Economic and Social Council to follow up on this issue.

36. The Arab leaders commend what has been achieved in the process of improving the climate of investment and they urge Arab financial institutions to finance infrastructure projects.

37. The Arab leaders entrust the Arab Economic and Social Council to tackle the transport issues by land, air and sea and to report to the next Arab summit meeting about this question.

38. The Arab leaders welcome an invitation by the United Arab Emirates to host the first Arab forum on information technology to help promote telecommunications and information technology services.

39. The Arab leaders call on the concerned authorities in the Arab countries to speed up the process of linking the electric grids.

40. The Arab leaders underline the importance of the tourism sector and urge the concerned authorities to take measures towards promoting the tourism industry.

41. They voiced support for the Abu Dhabi Declaration on joint Arab action on the protection of the environment.

42. The Arab leaders welcome Egypt's initiative to hold the first economic conference in Cairo in November 2001 with the participation of Arab governments, the Arab and foreign private sectors as well as regional and international economic institutions.

43. The Arab leaders entrust the Arab League secretary general to work in conjunction with the Arab Economic and Social Council in following up the process of joint Arab economic action.

44. The Arab leaders underline the importance of enhancing relations with Iran and Turkey in view of historic relations with the Arab world and the Arab countries' common interests with the two countries.

45. The Arab leaders emphasise the need to pursue efforts towards strengthening Arab- African relations and carry out joint Arab-African projects.

46. The Arab leaders underline the importance of developing relations with European countries and reviving the Euro-Arab dialogue.

47. The Arab leaders discussed the affairs of the Arab expatriates living in foreign nations, especially in Europe and America, and welcome the growing role played by these Arab communities.

48. The Arab leaders pay tribute to the outgoing Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abdul Meguid for his past services.

49. The Arab leaders are unanimous in their choice of Amr Musa, foreign minister of Egypt, as the secretary general of the League of Arab States, praising his diplomatic wisdom.

50. The Arab leaders entrust the new Arab League secretary general to reform the different institutions of the Arab League and carry out a restructuring programme in order to enable the Arab League to cater to regional and international developments.

51. The Arab leaders decided that the Arab League committee should consult with Arab leaders about issues of concern to Arab countries and organise monthly meetings at the ministerial level in the process of its agenda. 52. The Arab leaders decided to convene the 14th session at the summit level in Beirut in March, 2002.

53. The Arab leaders expressed their appreciation of the hospitality accorded to them by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan during the summit meetings and express their deep appreciation of His Majesty King Abdullah for his efforts to ensure the summit's success.