RIYADH, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Arab leaders are holding the final session of a two-day summit in Saudi capital of Riyadh on Thursday under the chairmanship of Saudi King Abdullah.

    The session started at about 1:30 p.m. (1030 GMT) at Abdulaziz International Conference Center with a speech by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

    Mubarak called on the Palestinians to continue implementing a Mecca agreement to pave the way for achieving peace and stability and lifting the sanctions imposed on the Palestinian people.

    He expressed hope that all the efforts would help restart the Middle East peace process and set up an independent Palestinian state.

    Mubarak said the summit is convened at a time when the Arab world is passing through important and critical developments at the international and regional rebels.

    Calling for seriously facing the menace of terrorism, he said, "We will remain preoccupied with the issue of the Arab national security."

    The Middle East region is in need of peace, security and stability and not in need of nuclear weapons or other kinds of weapons of mass destruction, the Egyptian president added.

    The leaders are expected to announce the "Riyadh Declaration" and resolutions that call for reactivating the Arab peace initiative.

    The two-day 19th Arab summit kicked off on Wednesday, bringing together 17 heads of state of Arab nations. Libya didn't send representative to the meeting, protesting its relocation from Sharm el-Sheikh, Egyptian Red sea resort on Sinai peninsular, to Riyadh.