Broad Participation Anticipated in Egypt’s Int’l Peace Summit

A handout picture released by the Jordanian Royal Palace shows Jordan's King Abdullah II (L) meeting with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on October 19, 2023. (Photo by Chris Setian / Jordanian Royal Palace / AFP)
A handout picture released by the Jordanian Royal Palace shows Jordan's King Abdullah II (L) meeting with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on October 19, 2023. (Photo by Chris Setian / Jordanian Royal Palace / AFP)
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Broad Participation Anticipated in Egypt’s Int’l Peace Summit

A handout picture released by the Jordanian Royal Palace shows Jordan's King Abdullah II (L) meeting with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on October 19, 2023. (Photo by Chris Setian / Jordanian Royal Palace / AFP)
A handout picture released by the Jordanian Royal Palace shows Jordan's King Abdullah II (L) meeting with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on October 19, 2023. (Photo by Chris Setian / Jordanian Royal Palace / AFP)

The international peace summit on Palestine, scheduled to be hosted by Cairo on Saturday, is expected to witness “broad and high-level international participation,” informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

This summit is part of an initiative that calls for “the urgent commencement of discussions on a comprehensive resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on the two-state solution,” which has garnered support from China and Russia.

After a meeting of the National Security Council last Sunday under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Egypt extended an invitation to host a regional and international summit on the Palestinian cause.

Sources cited by Egyptian media revealed that the attendance of several leaders from Arab and Gulf countries, as well as Türkiye, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, and the UN Secretary-General, has been confirmed.

Egypt's vision to leverage the current worldwide attention on the Palestinian issue for discussions towards a comprehensive resolution and revitalizing the peace process has garnered substantial support from both Arab and international communities.

This was affirmed by Samaa Suleiman, the representative of the Foreign, Arab and African Affairs Committee in the Egyptian Senate.

Suleiman shed light on “the international community’s lack of neutrality in dealing with the Palestinians and the obstruction of any efforts aimed at accepting Palestine as a full member of the UN.”

Suleiman stressed “the importance of urging the international community to find a just, comprehensive, and lasting solution to the Palestinian cause, based on the two-state solution, and activating the right to self-determination for the Palestinian people by establishing their independent state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital."

For his part, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly praised Egypt’s initiative to host an international summit on Saturday to address the ongoing crisis and coordinate international efforts to de-escalate tensions and violence.



UN Official to Asharq Al-Awsat: Syria Lost a Quarter of its Homes During the War

A woman and her child are seen at the Atmeh refugee camp near Idlib in northwestern Syria. (AFP)
A woman and her child are seen at the Atmeh refugee camp near Idlib in northwestern Syria. (AFP)
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UN Official to Asharq Al-Awsat: Syria Lost a Quarter of its Homes During the War

A woman and her child are seen at the Atmeh refugee camp near Idlib in northwestern Syria. (AFP)
A woman and her child are seen at the Atmeh refugee camp near Idlib in northwestern Syria. (AFP)

UN-Habitat Chief of Staff Erfan Ali said the organization was working with the new Syrian government in rebuilding the war-torn country.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said he was exerting great efforts to secure the necessary funding for projects.

Syria has lost 25 percent of its houses as a result of the war that erupted in 2011, he revealed, adding, however, that he was optimistic development can take place.

He has held “excellent” meetings with officials and there are “excellent signals” coming from the government and donors, he went on to say.

However, Ali stressed that the recovery and reconstruction process demands the consolidation of stability and the necessary political environment. It also demands openness and a fair transition.

The UN official had visited Damascus from February 11 to 15 to discuss ongoing and potential projects and efforts to secure their funding.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that he met with six to seven donors and embassy officials. He confirmed that they will take part in the humanitarian conference organized by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) in Riyadh on February 24 and 25. Potential projects will be on the table at the event.

Ali also said that discussions are underway with international banks and other parties to secure funding for various projects in Syria.

He said that studies have taken place, but time is still needed to reach an accurate estimate of the cost of the reconstruction. Estimates have ranged between 400 and 500 billion dollars, but those figures could be far from the actual needs on the ground.

Syria has lost 25 percent of its homes, or around 1 million residential units have been destroyed or heavily damaged. There are immense challenges and great work to do, Ali added.

He stressed, however, that he was optimistic that donors will provide the needed funds given the ouster of the former regime. He noted the “good intentions” from the parties concerned and several partners have proposals over new projects in various regions, including Aleppo, Damascus, Hama and Idlib and their countrysides.

Ali said he would be very satisfied if 20 to 30 percent of the necessary funding is secured.

UN-Habitat has already been involved in Syria for several years through projects to rehabilitate infrastructure, most notably after the 2023 earthquake.

Furthermore, Ali spoke of major challenges that used to exist in securing funding for these projects given the restrictions and sanctions on the former regime.

Now, with its ouster, he said he was confident that funding will not be that difficult.