The Secretary-General of Arab League (AL), Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Moussa Faki Mahamat, presided a meeting of the Arab-African Cooperation, the highest mechanism for political coordination between the two organizations.
The talks witnessed an agreement between the two sides on a number of steps aimed at enhancing joint coordination and integrated work between the League and the Union in handling crises and security challenges in the Arab and African regions.
The officials discussed a political settlement to the Libyan crisis, democratic transition in Sudan, and security and stability in Somalia, as well as supporting efforts to promote stability, development and regional cooperation in the Horn of Africa.
They also addressed combating terrorism in Lake Chad and Sahel region and all threats to security and stability of African and Arab states, according to an official source at the League.
The source added that the two sides also discussed the latest developments in the Palestinian issue.
Aboul Gheit highly appreciated the steadfast positions adopted by the Union in support of Palestine and the Palestinians’ right to establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Sec-Gen also commended the advanced coordination between the League and the Union in defense of the Palestinian, particularly in the United Nations General Assembly and other international arenas.
The source noted that the meeting focused on discussing ways to activate and complete the implementation of various programs and frameworks of cooperation between the Arab world and Africa, especially in the development of the joint work plan aimed at improving the Arab-African partnership.
Projects of the plan will be prepared for submission to Arab and African foreign ministers, in preparation for presenting it before state leaders and presidents during the upcoming Arab-African summit.
The source stated that Aboul Gheit lauded the cooperation between the Arab League and the African Union, and renewed his commitment to develop this partnership in all that would serve the common objectives of the two organizations, and is in favor of Arab and African states.
In this context, Aboul Gheit and Mahamat agreed to update the official cooperation agreement between the League and the Union, signed in 2007, to establish further mechanisms for coordination and institutional integration between them.
They also agreed to hold the next general meeting of cooperation between the two organizations under their joint presidency in Cairo mid-2020.
