Egypt Latest Country to Snub Arab summit in Damascus

Egypt will send only a low-level delegation to this week”s Arab League summit in Damascus, state media reported on Wednesday, the latest snub to Syria which is widely blamed for Lebanon”s political crisis.

 

Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit told the official MENA news agency that he would not attend the summit due to be held in Damascus on Saturday and Sunday but instead send State Minister for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mufid Shehab.

 

The delegation”s downgrading reflects tensions with Syria over differences on how to deal with the political crisis in Lebanon, whose continuation Egypt and fellow regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia blame on Damascus.

 

Lebanon on Tuesday said it would not take part in the Arab summit because of what is said was Syria”s negative role in the country”s protracted crisis that has left it without a president for months.

 

Syria, which held sway in Lebanese affairs for decades before it was forced to withdraw its troops from the country in 2005, has been accused of blocking election of a new president.

 

Lebanon is in the grip of a standoff between the government and the Hezbollah-led opposition that has left it without a president since November, when pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud stepped down at the end of his mandate.

 

On Monday, a 17th session of parliament to elect a successor to Lahoud was postponed. A new session has been set for April 22.