Closing session of Arab summit held 2 Kuwait

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said in a speech that despite the
catastrophe in Gaza, the Arab leaders sought to reach conciliation
over core of what they needed to do to support Gaza, stop the Israeli
aggression, lift the siege and provide assistance to Palestinians.

He said the leaders succeeded in agreeing on Kuwait Declaration and
mechanisms to implement resolutions that would elevate the standard
of living of Arab citizens and economic integration and development.

Kuwait Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah delivered a speech in
which he said the Arab Economic summit's resolutions were a "corner
stone" in economic construction of Arab world, as well as purifying
inter-Arab atmosphere "where bond is back in the Arab line." Sheikh
Sabah said the meeting paved the way for a "historic fraternal
gathering ... (that) contributed in purifying the atmosphere where
bond is back in the Arab line." Sheikh Sabah hoped the Arab countries
would build up on what was achieved by the summit, which adopted
resolutions that would help in the economic construction and
development of the Arab world.

The Kuwaiti Amir said the summit examined the "atrocious" Israeli
aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza killing over 1,200
people and injuring more than 5,300 others.

He said the Israelis committed crimes against the Palestinians in
Gaza Strip where "no rules, laws, or customs or international
resolutions were considered." Noting that the whole world was united
in condemning the massacre of the Jewish state in a way "uncovering
its savage nature and placing its full responsibility on Israel,"
Sheikh Sabah said the Arab leaders attached utmost priority to the
Israeli offensive.

Sheikh Sabah said the Arab summiteers agreed to help the Gazans
recover from the effects of the Israeli invasion, and help the
Palestinian factions reconcile "believing in the unity of destination
and embodying the Arab consolidating spirit." He said supporting the
Palestinians in Gaza to rebuild the strip within an international
collective responsibility.

"What we have agreed upon is considered a step towards eliminating
the impacts of that aggression, an access to achieve peace and a
support of the various objectives that aim at stabilizing ceasefire
and ending the invasion, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the
Strip, lifting the siege off Gaza, and opening the crossings, and
enhancing efforts of the donors' countries in order to reconstruct
what the Israeli military machine has demolished in Gaza, " said
Sheikh Sabah.

--SPA