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DEAD SEA COAST, May 16: US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Sunday the United States acknowledged reforms in the Arab world should come from within the region and pledged Washington's help to bolster the process.
Powell, on a charm offensive to ease Arab anger over a detainee abuse scandal in Iraq and US support for policies of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, met a number of senior Arab officials on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum in Jordan.
"I sense that all the Arab nations understand the need for reform, understand that the United States and the industrialised world...want to assist the Arab world in the process of reform," Powell told a news conference.
He said the United States could provide assistance and create free trade arrangements with Arab governments. "But we know ultimately that reform has to come from within, so we are looking forward to creating partnerships for reform," Powell said.
Reform is a controversial issue in the Middle East where all Arab states say they are democratic, although most impose tight restrictions on political activity. They have mostly rejected a US plan for reforms that does not require a solution for the Israeli-Arab conflict.
The plan, drafted under the title of the Greater Middle East and following a campaign by US President George W. Bush for more democracy in the Arab world, is to be announced at a summit of the Group of Eight leaders in the United States in June.
Arab leaders are set to discuss reforms at a May 22-23 summit in Tunisia. Powell said the G8 summit would devise a mechanism for regular meetings with Arab states to discuss reform and enhance partnerships.
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Powell discussed reform during talks with Jordanian King Abdullah, his foreign minister, the foreign minister of Egypt, Ahmed Maher, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa and Palestinian officials.
"I think it was a good opportunity actually to discuss the core point that we have been trying to make here about reform and that is to say that it is to come from within the region. It is not a product of a blueprint from Washington," US Middle East envoy William Burns told reporters.
"We are trying to think through after the Arab summit meeting which I think will be important in demonstrating Arab initiative with regards reform...and how you translate this into a real dialogue and partnership so you don't just have nice summits that produce nice statements," he said.
Jordan's Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher, standing alongside Powell at the news conference, said the reform process should "have ownership from this region". "We both agree also that we need help implementing this reform and it is help that we are seeking from the international community," Muasher said. -Reuters
