Some Latin American leaders including Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Argentina’s Cristina Kirchner are expected to appear at the second Arab-South American summit. The conference is likely to lead to stronger political ties between both regions. A draft declaration prepared recently mentions “mutual political support” in global conferences as well as backing the creation of an "independent, sovereign Palestinian state".
Building greater economic ties will also be a prime goal during the summit; Qatar businessmen’s association head Faisal bin Qassem al-Thani acknowledged the potential markets between both regions which hold over 10% of the world’s population. Furthermore, each region houses two major oil-producing nations in Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.
Speaking of Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez will attend the summit as part of an international tour abroad:
Chavez says he's leaving for Qatar, where he'll attend a summit of Arab and South American countries before traveling to Iran to inaugurate a joint development bank.Image- Gulf Times (“Billboards about the upcoming 21st Arab League Summit and second Arab-South American Countries Summit in Doha.”)
The socialist leader said in a Sunday newspaper column that he then plans to visit Japan to sign a bilateral energy agreement.
Online Sources- Voice of America, IPS, The Peninsula Qatar, Khaleej Times, forbes.com
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