Sharm El-Sheikh, Assigned by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, Sayyid Asa’ad bin Tariq al- said, Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs and Personal Representative of His Majesty the Sultan chaired the Sultanate’s delegation to the 1st Arab- European Summit which kicked off in the Egyptian City of Sharm el-Sheikh this evening in the presence of a number of heads of state and prime ministers.
Sayyid Asa’ad bin Tariq al-Said was received upon his arrival at the headquarters of the Summit in the International Conference Centre, Abdel Fattah al- Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
The Summit was co-chaired by the Egyptian president and Donald Tusk, president of the European Council.
Speaking at the opening of the Summit, President Abdel Fattah al- Sisi said that the convening of the first Summit today, and the high level of attendance in it, is the best proof that what brings together the Arab and European regions is incomparably greater than what differentiates them.
He added “This participation reflects the mutual interest and concern of the Arab and European sides to enhance dialogue and coordination in a collective manner, in order to strengthen existing channels of communication at the bilateral level and hope to reach a common vision and perception of how to deal with the escalating threats and challenges that threaten our countries and our region at large, and after overcoming these challenges with individual efforts becomes difficult to achieve. “
The Egyptian president pointed out that the Arab countries and the European Union have historical ties of cooperation across the Mediterranean based in its strength on considerations of geographic proximity, cultural extension, mutual interests through decades, shared values and a sincere desire for peace and stability.
The Summit began with a public opening session followed by a closed plenary session on strengthening the Arab-European partnership and ways of dealing with global challenges.
The Summit, which is attended by 21 Arab countries and 28 European countries, aims at strengthening Arab-European relations in all aspects and focusing on a number of common issues and challenges, including multilateralism, trade and investment, migration and security, as well as the situation in the region.
The Summit addresses a number of political and economic topics and issues related to economic and social development, including the discussion of the Palestinian issue and means of reaching a comprehensive and just peace, as well as discussing the files of Syria, Libya, Yemen and Arab, European and international efforts to reach political settlements for these crises.
The two-day Summit is held under the theme “Investing in Our Stability” and focuses on the most important challenges facing the Arab and European sides and how to achieve stability in the region, the hazards of terrorism and the Middle East peace process.”
The second and final day of the Summit includes bilateral meetings between the heads of delegations followed by a closed interactive dialogue session on ways to deal with the regional challenges, followed by the interactive dialogue session.
The second and final day of the conference will also include a closed second session focusing on strengthening the Arab-European partnership and ways of dealing with global challenges. The Summit will conclude with a closing session and a press conference to review the recommendations.
Source: Oman News Agency