Arab economy ministers open talks ahead of Baghdad summit

PanARMENIAN.Net - Arab economy ministers opened talks in the Iraqi capital on Tuesday, March 27 ahead of a regional summit, aiming to ramp up tourism in the region despite the bloody crackdown in Syria, AFP reported.

The March 27-29 meetings, a pivotal moment as Iraq bids to re-emerge as a key Middle East player, will focus on Syria, where monitors say over 9,100 people have been killed in an anti-regime uprising, though other key topics are also set to be debated.

Arab foreign ministers are to meet on Wednesday, on the eve of the summit, the first such meeting to be held in the Iraqi capital in over 20 years and with Syria top of the agenda.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari has said he expects a resolution to address Syria but admitted he did not think Arab leaders would call on President Bashar al-Assad to step down. The fallout from other Arab uprisings - which toppled dictators in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen, and put pressure for reform on other autocratic regimes in the region - are also likely to be discussed.

Tuesday's talks were due to concentrate on increasing tourism, tackling water security and organizing regional responses to natural disasters.

Regional nations which revolted against their autocratic regimes suffered economically in 2011, the International Monetary Fund said in October, pointing to a "sizeable" decline in tourism, though energy-rich Gulf states were largely spared the protests.

The summit was originally due to be held in Baghdad a year ago but delayed by regional turmoil resulting from the Arab Spring uprisings, as well as concerns over violence in Iraq.

As a result of the revolts, many familiar faces will be absent: Kadhafi has been killed, Egypt's Hosni Mubarak was forced to step down, Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh handed over to his deputy and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia fled to Saudi Arabia.