Arab-South American summit starts today

While the Arab League summit in Doha takes place another important conference will commence today in the capital of Qatar.

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.

The socialist leader said in a Sunday newspaper column that he then plans to visit Japan to sign a bilateral energy agreement.

Image- Gulf Times (“Billboards about the upcoming 21st Arab League Summit and second Arab-South American Countries Summit in Doha.”)
Online Sources- Voice of America, IPS, The Peninsula Qatar, Khaleej Times, forbes.com