Rabat: Morocco has decided not to host the 2016 Arab League Summit, saying it wanted to avoid giving a false impression of unity in the Arab world.
The annual summit, which would have been the pan-Arab organisation's 27th, was initially set for 29th March in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh but had already been postponed to 7th April at Saudi Arabia’s request.
A statement from the Moroccan foreign ministry said, "Amid the lack of important decisions and concrete initiatives to submit to the heads of states, this summit will be just another occasion to approve ordinary resolutions and to pronounce speeches that give a false impression of unity.
“The League of Arab States (LAS) confirmed Morocco's decision and said that Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby had received a phone call from Salaheddine Mezouar, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, who expressed Morocco’s apology for not being able to host the Arab League Summit.
"Arab leaders cannot confine themselves, once more, to simply analysing the bitter situation of divergences and divisions without giving decisive responses," it added.
Informed diplomatic sources in Cairo told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the second nation in line is Mauritania.
Should Mauritania also withhold from holding the Arab League Summit, the convention will be automatically held at the League of Arab States in Egypt.
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