#ArabLeague final draft resolution calls for Arab joint force

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, center, Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby, left, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri, preside over a meeting of Arab heads of state, in Sharm el Sheik, South Sinai, Egypt, Saturday, March 28, 2015

The Arab League's final draft resolution calls for establishing a Joint Arab force to counter growing security threats. However, the statement left the decision to participate in these forces to each and every country in accordance to its will.

The force will intervene to meet challenges that threaten the security and safety of any Arab League member at the request of the concerned state; a decision over which Iraq reportedly voiced reservations.

The final statement, which is expected to be issued later on Sunday, backed military operations carried out in Yemen by a Saudi-led coalition, urging the Houthi rebels to carry out "an immediate withdrawal from the capital Sanaa and government institutions and to surrender their weapons to the legitimate authorities."

The resolution stressed the need for an urgent response to Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi's call for a conference in Saudi Arabia under the auspices of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The League summit, held in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh, called for Arab countries to support Palestine's budget for one year starting next April, and also supported the Palestinian Central Council's resolutions calling for a review of political, economic and security relations with Israel to put pressure on Tel Aviv to respect the signed agreements and international legitimacy resolutions.

Iraq reiterated its objection to any military intervention in any other country, and called for dialogue as a means to resolve problems. As for Lebanon, it stressed the need for any move to be based on Arab consensus.

The resolution called on Arabs to provide full political and logistic support to the legitimate government in Libya, including the national army.

Arab leaders urged the UN Security Council to quickly lift the embargo on arms imports to the Libyan government, as it is the sole legitimate authority, and to assume its responsibilities in preventing the flow of arms to terrorist groups.

The resolution called on the internationally-recognised government to exert more effort to control borders with neighboring countries, a decision over which Qatar voiced reservations. Algeria said items related to lifting the arms embargo and arming the Libyan army fall within the political context of the solution.

The summit urged the Security Council to take full responsibility for dealing with the Syrian crisis, and called for the Arab League Secretary-General to continue his contacts with the UN Secretary-General to reach a common plan of action to come to an agreement on the Syrian crisis, according to the "Geneva I Conference on Syria."

Arabs voiced their absolute backing for the United Arab Emirates sovereignty over its three islands near the Strait of Hormuz, calling on the Iranian government to enter into direct negotiations with the United Arab Emirates or to go to the International Court of Justice to find a peaceful solution to the issue of the islands occupied by Iran since 1971.

Britain urges 'political solution' in Libya

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond rejected international military action in Libya on Thursday and said the crisis-hit country needed a political solution.

"We don't believe that military action can solve the problem in Libya," Hammond said at a joint press conference in Algiers with Algerian counterpart Ramtane Lamamra.

"The Algerian position and the British position are identical... we believe in an inclusive political solution in Libya," Hammond said.

Western powers this week dismissed calls from Egypt for international military action after Cairo launched air strikes on militants from the Islamic State group in its neighbour who beheaded a group of Egyptian Christians.

Egypt later instead asked for the lifting of a UN arms embargo on Libya's internationally recognised government so it could tackle the Islamic State group, which the Security Council is reported to be considering.

Wary of committing to action in Libya -- where a NATO air campaign backed the 2011 uprising that ousted and killed dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi -- Western powers have pushed instead for political talks on forming a government of national unity.

Lamamra also rejected a military solution, saying "an escalation by providing arms" would not be conducive to talks.

"As neighbours of Libya we want to be a big part of the solution and in no way part of the problem," he said.

Libya has descended into chaos since the 2011 revolt, with the internationally recognised government forced to flee to the country's east and militias in control of Tripoli and other main cities.

Libya has two rival governments and parliaments, one recognised by the international community and the other with ties to Islamists.

#Egypt and #Algeria to sign gas import agreement

Egypt will import 6 cargoes of LNG from Algeria between April and September

An undated handout photo shows a Dana Gas rig in Egypt

 Egyptian petroleum minister Sherif Ismail set off for a two-day visit to Algeria on Monday to sign a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import agreement with the oil rich North African country, according to a Reuters report.

The Egyptian government announced earlier this month that it will import six cargoes of LNG from Algeria between April and September 2015.

A member of the delegation accompanying the minister told Reuters, that Egypt wants to discuss pricing with Algeria as LNG prices are expected to go down amid plunging international oil prices.

Egypt signed, in November, an agreement with Norwegian Liquefied Natural Gas services firm, Hoegh LNG to rent a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) for five years. This allows Egypt to Import LNG, to ease its energy shortages.

Egypt has been suffering from a mounting energy crisis as domestic production of natural gas, predominantly used in power stations, was disrupted by the political turmoil of the past three years.