EU - League of Arab States relations: joint communiqué of the EU Political and Security Committee and the League of Arab States Permanent Representatives

EU - League of Arab States relations: joint communiqué of the EU Political and Security Committee and the League of Arab States Permanent Representatives

Permanent Representatives to the League of Arab States and the EU Political and Security Committee held their seventh meeting on 23 January 2019 at the LAS headquarters in Cairo. The working group sessions on enhancing cooperation between the League of Arab States and the European Union were also convened on the margins of the meeting.

The Ambassadors held constructive discussions on topics of mutual interest with a particular focus on the Question of Palestine and ways to push the peace process forward, on developments of the situations in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, as well as on counter-terrorism, migration issues, refugees and displaced persons, and on Iran. Acknowledging the importance of joining efforts to address common political, economic, social, and security challenges which threaten the stability of their common region. They also welcomed the strengthening of the Arab - European partnership as an appropriate regional response. To this regard, both sides welcomed the holding of the 5th Joint Ministerial Meeting on 4/2/2019 in Brussels and the 1st Arab – European Summit on 24-25/2/2019 in the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Progress has been achieved since the launch of the Strategic Dialogue between the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States and the European External Action Service in November 2015, particularly in the fields of conflict prevention, early warning and crisis management, humanitarian assistance, counter-terrorism, transnational organised crime and migration, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

Conscious of the opportunities and the challenges facing Arab – European relations, the Permanent Representatives to the League of Arab States and the Political and Security Committee expressed their determination to strengthen cooperation and coordination, and to work together for a safer and better future for all.