عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Interviews

Aboul Gheit to Asharq Al-Awsat: Sharm el-Sheikh Summit Opens Permanent Arab Dialogue with Europe

FILE PHOTO: Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Arab League's secretary general, gestures as he speaks at the Rome Mediterranean summit MED 2018 in Rome, Italy. Reuters
FILE PHOTO: Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Arab League's secretary general, gestures as he speaks at the Rome Mediterranean summit MED 2018 in Rome, Italy. Reuters
TT
TT

Aboul Gheit to Asharq Al-Awsat: Sharm el-Sheikh Summit Opens Permanent Arab Dialogue with Europe

FILE PHOTO: Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Arab League's secretary general, gestures as he speaks at the Rome Mediterranean summit MED 2018 in Rome, Italy. Reuters
FILE PHOTO: Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Arab League's secretary general, gestures as he speaks at the Rome Mediterranean summit MED 2018 in Rome, Italy. Reuters

Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said that the first Arab-European summit held in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh reflected the desire of the two sides to work together and to build bridges.
 
In an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat from Sharm el-Sheikh, Aboul Gheit said the joint statement, to be issued at the end of the summit, would be brief, “but it will point to a minimum of consensus between Arabs and Europeans on political and international issues.”
 
The high-level representation at the summit “reflects the interest and desire between the Arab and European worlds in building bridges of cooperation and mutual understanding,” he affirmed.
 
The two-day summit, which kicked off on Sunday, is held under the title of “Investing in Stability.”

“The slogan of the summit is a great message on the internal and international levels, and a signal from the European side that the stability of the Arab countries is now required,” Aboul Gheit stated.
 
Asked about the Arab-European priorities to be tackled at the summit, the Arab League chief said: “Discussions will touch on all international and regional issues in order to formulate a position that supports peace and stability and maintains common interests.”
 
Among the main topics, he cited fighting terrorism and drying up its resources, ending the presence of militias, in addition to emigration and climate change.
 
On whether Yemen will get its share of political talks, he said: “Everyone is calling for the implementation of the Sweden agreement, the adoption of a political solution and the provision of humanitarian support,” underlining Arab support for the legitimate power in Yemen.
 
Aboul Gheit, however, noted that it would be difficult for the summit participants to draw a roadmap for the implementation of resolutions on Yemen, “because there is a divergence of views, for example disagreements between France and Italy; and the same applies to Syria.”
 
As for the communique to be issued at the end of the high-level meeting, he said: “The document will be very brief and was discussed by the representatives of the EU, the Arab League and Egypt, the host country.”
 
Arab-European cooperation is on track, according to the Arab League secretary-general, who also pointed to many agreements between the two sides.

Most Viewed

 
 
Interviews

UN Coordinator in Syria: Optimistic About Reconstruction if Transition Succeeds

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria Adam Abdelmoula (Asharq Al-Awsat)
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria Adam Abdelmoula (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT
TT

UN Coordinator in Syria: Optimistic About Reconstruction if Transition Succeeds

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria Adam Abdelmoula (Asharq Al-Awsat)
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria Adam Abdelmoula (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Since 2012, the United Nations Resident Coordinator's developmental role in Syria has been put on hold by the UN. However, the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad’s regime has revived this role.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Adam Abdelmoula, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, outlined plans for reconstruction in partnership with the new government in Damascus.

Abdelmoula expressed “great optimism” about Syria’s rebuilding but stressed that the key to rapid recovery is the “success of the transition.”

He explained that this means the transitional period—until a new constitution is agreed upon and an elected government is formed—must be secure and supported by consensus among all Syrians.

Additionally, momentum is building for Syria’s reconstruction, with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries proposing an international donor conference next spring to raise funds.

Abdelmoula said the UN is consulting with the new Syrian administration to prepare projects and cost estimates for the event.

The UN is preparing aid and technical support for Syria’s new administration, along with a development plan focusing on rebuilding infrastructure, restoring electricity, reviving health services, and supporting agriculture and irrigation to boost the economy.

“We’ve informed the new administration of our work through a letter sent to the foreign minister,” said Abdelmoula.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the UN’s “early recovery strategy,” launched last November, is still in place, though its fund has yet to be registered with the trust fund office in New York.

He promised to prioritize its registration and said: “When reconstruction begins in Syria, we will work to establish a dedicated reconstruction fund.”

As for relying on donors for rebuilding Syria, Abdelmoula said: “The UN doesn’t have the billions of dollars needed, but lessons from similar crises show the importance of focusing on strategic priorities, especially rebuilding the economic foundations.”

Abdelmoula noted that UN agencies can secure funding from donors who support development activities in various countries, a process that had been stalled in Syria for over a decade.

“Since the fall of the Syrian regime, many countries, particularly Arab and neighboring ones, have provided significant aid, and this is expected to increase,” he said.

“There are also positive signals from donors, especially Europeans, about boosting humanitarian aid, including continuing the annual Brussels Conference to support Syria,” added Abdelmoula.

He revealed that the mission has learned the European Union will resume hosting the conference this year, despite the fall of Assad’s regime.

The UN official addressed Syria’s sanctions, stating that those harming the Syrian people should be lifted.

He noted that the recent Riyadh meeting showed a strong intention from key international players to ease or fully lift the sanctions.

Abdelmoula pointed out the US decision to suspend some sanctions for six months and mentioned an upcoming EU foreign ministers' meeting to discuss either lifting or easing sanctions to support Syria’s economy, humanitarian aid, banking, and market access.

He explained that some sanctions are imposed by countries like the US, Germany, France, and the UK, which are discussing the best way forward. However, he said fully lifting sanctions may take time due to laws like the US Caesar Act.

Abdelmoula stressed that efforts should focus on reducing the impact of sanctions under the Caesar Act and working to pass new legislation to cancel it. He said this should also apply to sanctions from other countries in the form of laws.

He explained that lifting sanctions would make it easier for the UN and help both the Syrian government and people. A direct benefit would be Syria’s ability to access direct funding, concessional loans from international funds and the World Bank, and grants.

Abdelmoula explained that the UN’s humanitarian work in Syria focuses on helping people in need, regardless of which political group controls the area.

“Our efforts have included people in regions outside the former regime's control in northwestern and northeastern Syria,” he said.

As the UN Resident Coordinator, Abdelmoula represents the UN in the country.

“The government recognized until December 8 was Bashar al-Assad’s, which is why my credentials were sent to it, as is the usual practice,” he noted.

Abdelmoula also pointed out that the UN’s development work in Syria was halted since 2012 due to a UN decision.

“After the regime fell, we announced that we would resume our development work,” he affirmed.