LAM AKOL HOPED THAT THE ARAB SUMMIT WOULD YIELD POSITIVE RESULTS AND TAKE DECISIONS THAT MIGHT ENHANCE THE JOINT ARAB MARCH AND MEET THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE ARAB NATION. HE NOTED THAT SUDAN UNDERTOOK LAST YEAR THE PRESIDENCY OF THE ARAB SUMMIT AT A TIME WHEN THE ARAB NATION WAS FACING NUMEROUS CHALLENGES AND DEVELOPMENTS, NOTABLY IN PALESTINE, LEBANON, SOMALIA AND DARFUR. LAM AKOL POINTED OUT THAT SUDAN HAD DONE ITS BEST TO PUT AN END TO THE AGGRESSIVE ISRAELI PRACTICES. HE PRAISED MAKKAH AGREEMENT SIGNED BY THE PALESTINIAN LEADERS, AND SAID "WE DO WELCOME THE PALESTINIAN NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT." HE URGED THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO POSITIVELY DEAL WITH THE PALESTINIAN NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT AND TO WORK FOR LIFTING THE SIEGE IMPOSED ON THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. ON THE SITUATION IN IRAQ, THE SUDANESE FOREIGN MINISTER WARNED AGAINST THE ESCALATION OF SECTARIAN STRIFE IN THE COUNTRY, AND UNDERSCORED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NATIONAL RECONCILIATION. AS REGARDS SUDAN, HE SAID THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT IS KEEN ON ENHANCING THE PILLARS OF PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY AS WELL AS IN DARFUR PROVINCE. HE THANKED THE ARAB COUNTRIES WHICH HAD CONTRIBUTED TO FINANCING THE FORCES OF THE AFRICAN UNION IN DARFUR. ON THE OTHER HAND, LAM AKOL REITERATED THE REJECTION OF SUDAN TO THE ACCUSATIONS OF THE PROSECUTOR GENERAL AT THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT AGAINST TWO SUDANESE NATIONALS FOR COMMITTING WAR CRIMES IN DARFUR, AND SAID THESE ACCUSATIONS ARE NOT BASED ON LEGAL BASES. HE CONFIRMED THAT SUDAN WILL NEVER EXTRADITE ANY OF ITS CITIZENS FOR TRIAL OUTSIDE THE SUDANESE JUDICIAL SYSTEM. THE SUDANESE FOREIGN MINISTER UNDERSCORED THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPLEMENTING THE DECISION ADOPTED AT KHARTOUM SUMMIT ABOUT EXTENDING SUPPORT TO THE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN THE ARAB COUNTRIES. HE ANNOUNCED THE DONATION OF THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT WITH A PIECE OF LAND IN KHARTOUM FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ARAB FEDERATION OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AS WELL ANOTHER PIECE OF LAND FOR SETTING UP SPECIALIZED SCIENTIFIC CENTERS.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/435618