AMMAN, 31 March 2004 — Arab leaders were trying yesterday to salvage a summit that was to take place last Monday in Tunis.

There was a flurry of diplomatic activity. Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, met Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Shara in Riyadh. Shara handed the crown prince a message from President Bashar Assad, the Saudi Press Agency said.

On Monday, the crown prince appealed for a fresh summit “as early as possible”. He was quoted by SPA as saying that “the Arab world must look forward, not back” and create an environment “where the summit can be held as early as possible.”

Shara went to Riyadh after talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh. Egypt and Syria are “very close in our viewpoints,” Shara told reporters after the talks.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal also met Mubarak in Cairo.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher, who was involved in a series of telephone contacts with his counterparts yesterday, said that all Arab countries wanted the summit rescheduled.

The official Jordanian news agency Petra said Muasher discussed the issue with Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, Prince Saud, Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad ibn Jassem Al-Thani, Tunisian Foreign Minister Al-Habib Ben Yahia and Palestinian Minister of International Cooperation Nabil Shaath.

Muasher said that he planned to talk to more ministers and visit Arab capitals with the avowed aim of “ensuring the forthcoming Arab summit is a success.”

He did not mention a venue or date for the summit, but King Abdallah, in a telephone conversation with President Mubarak, deplored Tunisia’s cancellation of the conference and said Jordan welcomed convening the meeting in Egypt.

On Saturday night, Tunisia called off the summit, citing differences over political reform. Egypt, where the Arab League is based, promptly offered to serve as alternative host, but Tunisia was equally quick to counter Cairo’s attempts to seize the initiative, insisting on its right to host the meeting whenever it is held.

Tunisia’s stand was supported by Morocco. Moroccan Foreign Minister Mohamed Benaissa said yesterday the next Arab summit could only be held in Tunisia, unless Tunis gave up the right.

“As long as Tunisia does not renounce its right to host the summit on its soil, I don’t see how the summit can be transferred to another place,” the minister told Dubai’s Al-Arabiya satellite television channel.

Jordan, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen have welcomed Mubarak’s offer to hold the summit in Egypt.