Arab Foreign Ministers discuss regional threats, challenges

CAIRO - 6 March 2019: The 151st session of the Council of Arab Foreign Ministers kicked off on Wednesday in the Arab League’s headquarters in the Egyptian capital. Somalia is chairing the meeting succeeding Sudan in the presence of Secretary General Ahmed Abou el-Gheit.

On the sidelines, three meetings took place. The Ministerial Committee on Iranian Intervention in Arab Affairs, and the Ministerial Committee on Facing Israeli Plots in Africa convened. All ministers held a meeting prior to the session to consult over political, economic, social, cultural and security affairs.

The session’s agenda include discussing the draft agenda of the upcoming Arab League Summit that will take place by the end of this month; solidarity with Lebanon; developments in Libya, Syria, and Yemen; Iranian occupation of three Emirati islands; the adoption of a unified Arab stance on Turkish violation of Iraq’s sovereignty; supporting peace and security in Sudan; support to Somalia and Comoros; peaceful resolution of the Djibouti-Eritrea border conflict; Iranian intervention in Arab affairs; the threats of Israeli arms; and, Arab relations with regional and international communities.

The ministers will discuss certain points on the Palestinian Cause including the political developments of the cause and the Arab-Israeli conflict, the activation of the Arab peace initiative, Israeli violation in Jerusalem, the Arab water security, the theft of water in Golan heights and occupied Arab lands by Israel.

The agenda also consists of a number of social and cultural affairs such as support to the internally displaced Arab citizens, particularly Iraqis. That is in addition to announcing March 28 as the Arab Music Day.

The ministers will hold talks on the proposal of granting Palestine the permanent membership in the executive office of the Arab Youth and Sports Ministers Council. They will also discuss human rights, legal affairs, international terrorism, preservation of Arab national security, development of the Arab counterterrorism system, and recommendations by the committee studying the reform and development of the Arab league.