Abul-Gheit: EU-Arab cooperation helps facing common challenges, problems

BRUSSELS, Feb 4 (MENA) - Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Abul Gheit stressed on Monday the importance of EU-Arab cooperation in facing common challenges and problems.

Speaking at the fifth European Union-Arab League ministerial meeting, currently in session in Brussels, Abul Gheit said that cooperation and consultations between the two sides over the past years have culminated in setting the stage for holding the first EU-AL summit in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh in late February.

Abul-Gheit extolled the launch of the seventh EU-AL Strategic Dialogue in Cairo at the headquarters of the AL General Secretariat last week.

There are still real challenges and crises that threaten stability of several countries, Abul Gheit said, stressing the need of developing effective policies to fight off these challenges and restore stability to these countries.

The first meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the European Union (EU) and the Arab League was held in Malta in February 2008.