The Tunisian Foreign Minster, Mr. Mohamed Masmoudi, joined other Arab Foreign Ministers in Algiers on Saturday (24 November). The Foreign Ministers began a two-day meeting in the Algerian capital in preparation for the Arab Heads of State Summit Conference that starts on Monday (26 November).

Only a brief opening ceremony was open to the press and public on Saturday afternoon before the meeting went into closed session. Plans to start the meeting in the morning had to be shelved because not all the Foreign Ministers, including Mr. Masmoudi, had arrived.

The announced theme of the Foreign Ministers meeting, and the subsequent Summit Conference, was to find ways to evict Israel from occupied Arab lands, and to restore the rights of the Palestinians.

Local observers in Algeria say the Arab Ministers are in a militant mood. However, the Tunisian Foreign Minister is thought to be a moderate, and will be pressing for less-militant solutions to the questions facing the delegates.

This is the second major international meeting held in Algeria this year. Three months ago, the country hosted the Non-aligned Nations Summit Conference.