Cairo, January 18: The head of the Arab League called Monday on rich Arab countries to extend a helping hand to their needy brothers as the turmoil in Tunisia cast a shadow over the Arab economic summit due to open in Egypt later this week.
The summit was meant to be a platform to discuss trade, business and investment, but officials say the Tunisian uprising — triggered by political repression, rising unemployment and skyrocketing food prices — will now top the conference’s agenda.
In a speech to delegates in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, League Secretary-General Moussa urged rich Arab countries to help their poorer brothers.
“The less developed countries need help to build their economies and promote development,” he said.
Moussa did not directly address the Tunisian crisis in his speech, but on Saturday he predicted that the unrest in the North African nation will have an impact on the rest of the Arab world.
Addressing a news conference Monday, Moussa said economic and political reform in the Arab world should go together. “Democracy and development should go hand in hand. Otherwise there will be no progress in the region. It is not sufficient to talk about economy alone,” he said.
His deputy Ahmed Ben Heli said Tunisian Foreign Minister Kamal Merjan, who will represent his country in the Arab Economic Summit Wednesday, will brief Arab leaders on the upheaval in the North African nation.
Weeks of protests over corruption and political repression forced Tunisia’s longtime president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to flee the country Friday to Saudi Arabia.
Tunisian authorities were still struggling to restore order on Monday.
-Agencies