The European Union (EU) Political and Security Committee (PSC) and the League of Arab States (LAS) Permanent Representatives' hold their fifth meeting
Press Communique
1st, of December 2016
The European Union (EU) Political and Security Committee (PSC) and the League of Arab States (LAS) Permanent Representatives' hold their fifth meeting
Cairo-- Representatives of the European Union and the League of Arab States met in Cairo on 30 November 2016 to hold the fifth meeting of the EU Political and Security Committee and the League of Arab States Permanent Representatives. The second round of the Strategic Cooperation Working Groups was also convened on the margins of the meeting.
The Ambassadors held constructive discussions on issues of mutual interest, with a particular focus on the threats of terrorist and extremism, as well as on the Middle East Peace Process, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Iraq and the refugee and migration crises. Acknowledging the importance of working together to address common political, economic, social, and security challenges, they welcomed the strengthening of the Euro-Arab partnership as an adequate regional response.
Since the launch of the EU-LAS Strategic Dialogue on November 2015, progress has been made in developing Euro-Arab operational cooperation, particularly in the fields of conflict prevention, early warning and crisis management, humanitarian assistance, counter-terrorism, transnational organised crime and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and arms control, in the framework of the specific Working Groups dedicated to these topics. A further Working Group on Migration was also launched, demonstrating the shared regional interests and the common challenges faced on this issue. The representatives of LAS-EU welcomed the meeting of the six working Groups in the framework of strategic cooperation.
Conscious of the opportunities and the challenges lying ahead for Euro-Arab relations, the Political and Security Committee and the Arab Permanent Representatives expressed their determination to work together for a safer and better future for all.
These fruitful discussions paved the way for the next EU-LAS Ministerial Meeting due to take place on 20 December 2016, at the League of Arab States Headquarters in Cairo.