The Arab foreign ministers concluded their consultative meeting, chaired by Abdullah Bouhabib, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants in the caretaker government, as Lebanon holds the current presidency of the Arab Foreign Ministers Council. After the meeting, in a chat with journalists, Assistant Secretary-General Ambassador Hossam Zaki stated: "The discussion focused on preparations for the Arab summit that will be held in Algeria, the catastrophic situation of famine in Somalia amid difficult climatic conditions, and Arab food security. There is a plan being prepared by the General Secretariat to be presented next September. The Palestinian issue was also discussed." Ambassador Zaki confirmed "the support and solidarity of the meeting attendees with Lebanon, but no subsidiary or minor issues were raised."
The consultative session began at eleven in the morning, discussing the files that will be addressed in the Arab summit meetings scheduled in Algeria next October and other shared Arab issues. Participants in the session included: the Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Mohammed, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Jordan Ayman Safadi, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the Arab League Ambassador Maryam Khalifa Al Kaabi, the Ambassador of Bahrain to Syria Waheed Mubarak Sayar, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigration of Tunisia Othman Jerandi, Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad of Algeria Ramtane Lamamra, State Minister of the Union of Comoros for Cooperation with the Arab World Qassem Lotfi, Permanent Representative of Djibouti to the Arab League Ambassador Ahmed Ali Bari, Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the Arab League Ambassador Abdul Rahman Ben Saeed Jumaa, Foreign Minister of Sudan Ali Al-Sadiq, Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs of Somalia Abdi Mohamed Othman, Permanent Representative of Iraq to the Arab League Ambassador Ahmed Al-Dulaimi, Permanent Representative of Oman to the Arab League Ambassador Abdullah Ben Nasser Al-Rahbi, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of Palestine Riyad Al-Maliki, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, Permanent Representative of Libya to the Arab League Ambassador Abd Al-Mutalib Idris Thabit, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt for African Affairs Ambassador Hamdi Sand Louza, and the ambassador assigned to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and Mauritanians abroad, Hosni Faqih. Syria was absent due to its suspended membership in the Arab League.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki stated upon arrival at the hotel for the session: "Our presence in Beirut is extremely important as it emphasizes the significance of the Lebanese state within the Arab home, and the arrival of the foreign ministers in Beirut also has very significant implications." He added, "We consider this meeting, although it is consultative rather than an official meeting in the true sense of the word, as a gathering of foreign ministers that allows each minister to speak freely on any topic they wish. As the Foreign Minister of Palestine, I am here first to confirm the special relations that connect Lebanon and Palestine, to convey the Palestinian concerns to this place, and to have open discussions regarding the situations and Palestinian issues that have become very alarming. The Arab countries must also pay attention and consider what is happening in Palestine, including the violations of Palestinian rights and crimes that rise to the level of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Therefore, particularly some countries that are moving far along in normalization policies with that entity should also consider what is happening in Palestine within those policies."
For his part, Minister Safadi affirmed that "his country cannot allow Lebanon to slide further into difficulties," expressing hope that Lebanon could overcome its political challenges and begin addressing its economic challenges. He emphasized their commitment to providing assistance to Lebanon to face these challenges, stating that for them and His Majesty the King of Jordan, Lebanon is a priority, and the Lebanese people are a brotherly people. The Jordanian minister also announced that "the attendees will discuss the Palestinian issue, which the world must act upon to impose a just and comprehensive peace."
Minister Lamamra described the meeting as "important for preparing for the Arab summit to be hosted by Algeria in October," confirming "the ongoing effort to unite the Arab ranks to form the broadest official Arab framework to confront challenges."
