Algeria to postpone Arab League summit to summer

The Arab League summit will be postponed from March to next summer, Algeria's presidency announced on Wednesday.

In November, Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced that the next Arab League summit would take place in the country's capital city Algiers in March 2022.

On Wednesday however, Tebboune said that the summit would be rescheduled to take place in the summer period, possibly in June.

After visiting Algeria, Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League Hossam Zaki, said that it is unlikely that the summit will take place before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which will fall in April this year.

The exact date of the summit will be confirmed during a meeting of Arab foreign ministers, which will take place at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo on 9 March, he said in a press statement.

"Algeria is completely ready to host the summit and has shown potential for the success of the next summit. Almost all arrangements are ready, both in terms of mobility, security and the media," he said.

The date of the summit is subject to  consultations taking place between Algeria and the Secretary-General of the Arab League to find the most suitable date for all participants, especially in the light of the coronavirus pandemic, Zaki said.

"We hope that cooperation between the two parties will continue until this event, which we hope will be successful and historic, especially since it coincides with the 60th anniversary of Algeria's independence," he said.

This week, Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra visited Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Qatar to discuss the upcoming Arab summit and its agenda.