Arab Summit reaffirms centrality of Palestine, joint Arab action
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At the Arab Summit 2025 in Baghdad, leaders rejected Palestinian displacement, urged Gaza aid, condemned Israeli aggression, and advanced food and economic strategies.
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Arab leaders attend the 34th Arab League summit, in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, May 17, 2025 (AP)
The Arab Summit held in Baghdad concluded with a comprehensive closing statement underscoring the collective stance of Arab states on key regional issues, with particular emphasis on Palestine, regional security, and coordinated political action.
Palestine at the heart of the Arab consensus
The summit’s closing statement reaffirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause as the cause of the Arab nation and a cornerstone of regional stability. The Arab leaders expressed absolute support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to freedom, self-determination, and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine.
Participants called for an immediate halt to the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and demanded intensified efforts to pressure for the opening of crossings and the delivery of humanitarian aid to all Palestinian territories. The statement also emphasized the need to implement relevant UN Security Council resolutions issued since the onset of the aggression.
The leaders rejected any form of forced displacement of Palestinians from their land under any pretext and welcomed international recognition of the State of Palestine. The statement particularly commended Spain, Norway, and Ireland for their recent recognition and urged other nations to follow suit.
Support was also expressed for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s call to convene an international peace conference aimed at resolving the Palestinian issue on the basis of international legitimacy.
Calls for end to occupation, foreign aggression
The statement demanded an end to the Israeli occupation of all Arab territories, including the Syrian Golan and South Lebanon, as part of a broader call for respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity across the region.
The summit also reiterated respect for the choices of the Syrian people and affirmed that Syria’s security and stability are essential to the region's overall stability.
Support for regional stability, diplomacy
Arab leaders expressed full support for Lebanon in its efforts to overcome challenges and maintain security and unity. The summit also voiced solidarity with Sudan in its attempts to protect its resources and territory amid ongoing conflict and reaffirmed support for Libya through national dialogue and political reconciliation.
The summit appreciated Oman’s diplomatic mediation between Iran and the United States, framing it as a positive example of Arab diplomacy in action.
In addition, the leaders called for the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, and condemned all forms of terrorism and its ideological roots.
Security, cyber cooperation, deterrence of hate speech
The summit welcomed Iraq’s efforts to combat terrorism and emphasized the importance of enhancing cybersecurity as part of joint Arab cooperation. The final statement also stressed the need to activate deterrent mechanisms against hate speech and affirmed that rising global tensions reflect a dangerous shift away from diplomacy toward militarized solutions.
The Baghdad Arab Summit closed with a unified message: regional challenges require solidarity, coordinated action, and firm positions rooted in justice, peace, and the collective interests of the Arab peoples.
Read more: Arab Summit 2025: Leaders call for Gaza ceasefire, Palestinian state
Baghdad hosts fifth Arab development, economic, and social summit
Following the main summit, Baghdad hosted the Fifth Arab Development, Economic, and Social Summit, focused on revitalizing regional economic cooperation and integration. The summit aimed to align national and regional development goals for mutual benefit.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit presented a comprehensive Arab food security strategy during the summit. He emphasized that Arab national security is an integrated whole, requiring parallel attention to food, social, cyber, and other sectors of security.
“Concrete solutions must be found for Arab food security,” he said, citing the strategy proposed in Baghdad as a roadmap for future resilience.
Aboul Gheit also addressed the impact of the global economic slowdown, noting its implications for food and social stability across the Arab region.
Commitment to economic integration, stability
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa voiced support for implementing the summit’s development initiatives, stressing the importance of working with regional and international partners to ensure stability and end ongoing wars.
Speaking on behalf of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf reinforced the call for meaningful economic unity. “Achieving economic integration must not remain a dream," he said.
