RIYADH, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia's major newspapers issued editorials respectively on Monday, highlighting the importance of a joint Arab action in dealing with regional problems two days before the opening of the 19th Arab summit in Riyadh.

    Riyadh-based newspaper Al-Jazerah said in its editorial that the summit will focus on a 2002 Arab peace plan, expressing optimism for finding a suitable mechanism to move forward towards practical steps to settle the Palestinian problems.

    There is a general belief among those preparing for the forthcoming summit that the Arab peace initiative submitted by Saudi Arabia and adopted by the Beirut summit "will be the core of discussions at the (Riyadh) summit without introducing any amendment on the initiative," it added.

    Al-Riyadh newspaper also issued an editorial commenting on U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's current Mideast regional tour and her meeting with some Arab foreign ministers in the southern Egyptian city of Aswan.

    "We can not speculate on the thinking of the U.S. secretary of state, but it seems that there is an agreement that peaceful solutions have priority with regard to the Middle East problems, the spread of democracy and termination of fighting in Iraq, since all ways lead to Palestine," it said.

    Jeddah-based newspaper Okaz said there is a general feeling with regard to challenges facing the Arab nations at present, including what happens in Iraq, the Palestinian issue and the volatile situation in Lebanon.

    It's in an urgent need to put an end to these problems in the region, it added.

    Meanwhile, Dammam-based Al-Youm said the upcoming Arab summit "represents a true beginning for a joint Arab action which aims at building a strong nation."

    In addition, the Makkah-based Al-Nadwa newspaper revealed that the already announced official Arab stance, or the Arab peace initiative, is expected to be re-endorsed at the forthcoming summit which will reaffirm that there would be no amendments for items of the initiative.

    The upcoming Arab summit to be held on March 28-29 was expected to review the Arab peace initiative endorsed by the Beirut Arab summit in 2002.

    The Arab peace initiative, proposed by Saudi Arabia, offers Israel normalization of ties with Arab countries in exchange for its withdrawal from all the occupied Arab lands, which has been refused to recognize by Israel.