SHAM EL-SHEIKH (Halbeeg News)-Leaders from the Arab League and the European Union have gathered in Egypt on Sunday for the first-ever summit between the two bodies.
The two-day summit at the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh aims to boost cooperation on a number of shared challenges including migration, security and trade, and investment.
The leaders and various head of governments aim to boost cooperation on socio-economic development, trade and investment, energy security, climate change, and migration.
According to a document from the EU, the two neighbouring regions account for 12% of the global population with the Middle East experiencing strong population growth, which translates to the increase of the cross-regional opportunities.
Pressing global issues including how to coordinate efforts to derail the root causes of terrorism and cut support to terrorist networks are also expected to be discussed.
Twenty-four of the 28 EU leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister May, and Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar are expected to address the gathering. They will be joined by the EU Council President Donald Tusk and the bloc’s top diplomat Federica Mogherini.
On the Arab side, the guest list remains uncertain as divisions are rife.
The Saudi de-facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — shunned since the brutal killing of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in October — and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir who is subject to a warrant from the International Criminal Court will not be going. The Saudi delegation is instead expected to be led by King Salman while Qatar is sending low-level delegates.
This disunity among Arab peers often works to the European advantage prompting former Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said Arab nations needed to assert themselves.
“If the Arab side weakens itself, Europe will impose its agenda,” he said.
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