The two-day Arab summit here condemns the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people and underlines commitment to the Arab peace initiative as the Arab project to achieve just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region.

This was contained in a copy of the final draft statement of the16th Arab summit, which was distributed during its opening session here Saturday.

The draft statement says, the summit rejects stances contradicting the Arab peace plan and international legitimacy resolutions, adding Arab leaders will entrust the Arab peace ministerial committee and the Arab League secretary general with starting, immediately following the end of the summit, a plan of action to reactivate and garner support for the Arab peace plan at international forums.

Hailing the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people and their legitimate national leadership under Yasser Arafat, the draft supports the Palestinian struggle against the continued and escalating Israeli aggression to restore their legitimate national rights to self-determination and setting up the Palestinian state.

The siege imposed on the Palestinian people and President Yasser Arafat does not serve the peace process at a time when the Palestinian leadership has agreed to positively move towards peace and commitment to the quartet-approved roadmap peace plan, says the document.

The draft statement condemns all Israeli military operations in the Palestinian and Arab territories, operations targeting civilians without discrimination and operations targeting Palestinian leaders, saying this only trigger violence and counter violence and do not lead to establishing peace needed by the region.

It demands the Quartet, the US administration and the European Union to press Israel into allowing the Palestinian president to move freely.

The US should commit to its vision of establishing a viable Palestinian state side by side with Israel and the terms of reference of the peace process, represented in the related UN resolutions and the principles of land-for-peace, it added.

Any amendment to the terms of reference of the peace process is considered an unacceptable prejudging of the outcome of negotiations, a violation of the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people and an impediment to efforts to reach a just solution to be agreed on the issue of the return of refugees to their homeland in accordance with UN resolution No. 194 of 1948, it stresses.

The draft statement underlines that any Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian territories should be comprehensive to end the occupation under international supervision and in coordination with the Palestinian National Authority.

The draft statement calls upon the quartet to resume serious action to achieve just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East on the basis of the Arab peace plan and the roadmap plan.

In the statement, Arab leaders emphasize their countries' continued support for the Palestinian National Authority and urge other countries not to "recognize or deal with" any promises that infringe the Palestinian people's legitimate rights.

The statement condemns Israeli "state terrorism" against the Palestinians, including cold-blooded killings, massive detentions and destruction of the infrastructure facilities in the Palestinian territory.

Meanwhile, the statement calls on the world, especially the UN Security Council, to endeavour for an international supervised ceasefire and provide an international protection for the Palestinians.

Reiterating their opposition of Israeli measures to annex and Judaise Jerusalem, it condemns Israel's "racist barrier" and its excavations for posing threats to holy sites in Jerusalem.

The document calls for a fair solution to the problem of the Palestinian refugees conforming to UN resolutions and voice opposition to re-settle the refugees in Arab countries and rejection of Israel's measures aimed at "changing the legal, natural and demographic status" of the occupied Golan Heights.

It also stresses support for Lebanon in completing the full liberation of its lands, including the Shebaa Farms, still occupied by Israel.

On Iraq, the statement confirms Arab leaders' keenness on the war-torn country's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence, calling on the UN Security Council to take necessary measures to end occupation of Iraq and help the Iraqis to regain their complete sovereignty over their lands.

It stresses UN's "central and effective" role in Iraq's political process, noting that the Arab League chief is tasked with enhancing cooperation with Iraqi agencies and the UN to facilitate the transfer of power to the Iraqis by June 30.

"The Arab leaders strongly condemn the inhuman and immoral practices committed by the occupation troops against Iraqi detainees and demand wrongdoers be brought to justice," said the draft.

On development and modernization course in the Arab world, the draft statement says, "We, Arab leaders conferring here in Tunis on May 22, 2004, expressing our countries' willingness to achieve an all-out development."

It confirms efforts in making progress of our nations in political, social, economic, cultural and educational arenas.

Realizing the importance of governmental and non-governmental contributions to the development, it reiterates on need of serious handling of all fundamental issues in the region and necessity to find just solutions to touchiest issues in the region.

Source: Xinhua