Libyan presidential council chairman arrives for Sharm summit

SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt, Feb 23- Fayez al-Sarraj, the Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya and prime minister of the Libyan Government of National Accord, arrived in Sharm El Sheikh on Saturday to attend the first Arab League-European Union summit that will kick off in this Red Sea resort city on Sunday.

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi will inaugurate the summit which is expected to see the highest diplomatic attendance rate at the presidential level from the Arab and European sides.

The summiteers will discuss the challenges facing both sides, atop of which terrorism, illegal migration and transnational organized crime.

Regional conflicts in addition to the Palestinian problem will also figure high on the summit’s agenda.

The summit will tackle a host of political and economic topics including the Palestinian cause and other issues including illegal immigration and human trafficking will be also mulled.

In February 2019, Egypt’s Sharm el Sheikh International Airport is on high alert in preparation for receiving the high guests and heads of Arab and European countries, who are participating in the upcoming Arab-European summit due on February 24 and 25, said the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation in statement on Thursday.

Minister of Civil Aviation directed the airport officials to coordinate with all concerned security and media bodies, the statement added.

The first Arab-European summit will be co-chaired by President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and President of the European Council Donald Tusk.

On February 18, Sisi said that “Sharm El-Sheikh conference is a key step towards more cooperation that will be followed by other steps,” adding that the instability of some Arab countries led to the illegal migration to Europe.

According to a statement issued by the EU, leaders from both sides will seek to strengthen Arab-European ties. They will also address a wide range of issues and common challenges, such as multilateralism, trade and investment, migration, security and the situation in the region.

The meeting is expected to start on Sunday, February 24 and end with a press conference on Monday, February 25. It will take place in the International Congress Centre in Sharm El-Sheikh.