Focus on World Economic Forum shifts to Middle East
Lebanon’s prime minister today abruptly pulled out of an international gathering of world political and business leaders in Switzerland, reflecting tensions in his nation.
Fuad Saniora’s decision not to attend the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos was the latest sign of the crisis gripping Lebanon. His Western-backed government is locked in confrontation with Iranian-backed Hezbollah and its allies, struggling under debt and facing the task of rebuilding after last summer’s 34-day conflict that left much of southern Lebanon in ruins.
Still, consultations continued on other Middle East crises at the Davos meeting.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met behind closed doors with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss efforts aimed at reviving the long-stalled peacemaking efforts.
Arriving at the hotel where the German leader was staying, Abbas said he was still hopeful that a unity government would take hold, despite the violence in the Palestinian Territories.
He said he was optimistic that talks with Merkel would set the tone for relations with the rest of the European Union.
“Germany is the head of the EU, so we expect a lot out of Germany,” he said. Germany currently holds the European Union’s rotating six-month presidency.
Abbas will also meet with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, one of his aides told The Associated Press.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev confirmed the two would meet, but did not specify when. Livni is also to meet with King Abdullah II of Jordan, who has been involved in mediation efforts.
Abbas aide Yasser Abed Rabbo, who is in Davos with the Palestinian president, told The Associated Press that Abbas would meet with Livni in an effort to push forward recent efforts to get negotiations back on track.
Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met last month to discuss confidence-building measures that would allow the sides to return to the negotiating table, abandoned more than six years ago. The two are going to try to push that process forward further next month in a three-way meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The date and venue for that session have not been set.
The Middle East is a key focus at this year’s five-day meeting of the World Economic Forum. King Abdullah will speak about the future of the Middle East.
Touching on concerns about the Middle East, Abbas said yesterday: “I worry about Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon.”
But Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa told the AP that it was unlikely any of those problems would be solved.
“Don’t ask (for) too much ... that we are going to solve the problem or sign documents here in Davos,” he said.
