The annual summit of the Arab League kicked off in Kuwait, with the participation of 13 heads of state out of 22.

The opening speeches revealed deep divisions that preclude any possibility of debate.

The Gulf States hinted that the dispute between Qatar three of its neighbors, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, could only be resolved within the framework of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the League, Lakhdar Brahimi, presented a report on the failure of the Geneva 2 Conference, specifying that no new session is foreseen.

Syria’s seat remained empty, as the Syrian National Coalition had not yet completed the administrative requirements. However it didn’t stop its chairman, Ahmad al-Jarba, from giving a speech against President Bashar al-Assad.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas met privately with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs to brief them on the current status of negotiations with Israel and the United States.