Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, participated in a meeting hosted by the European Union foreign ministers in Brussels on 22 January. The meeting was attended by Josep Borrell, the High Representative for European Foreign Policy, and the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan.
According to Gamal Roshdy, the spokesperson for the Secretary-General, the meeting focused on the immediate need to halt the aggressive Israeli war on Gaza and address the humanitarian crisis affecting the residents of the Strip.
Roshdy explained that there was broad agreement between the Arab and European participants that the two-state solution remains the sole path to resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Any attempt to delay or avoid implementing this solution poses a threat to the security and stability of the region.
The spokesperson added that Mr. Aboul Gheit and the Arab ministers listened to some substantive European proposals aimed at initiating a credible peace process based on the two-state solution. The ultimate goal is to achieve a comprehensive settlement that involves ending the occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders.
Mr. Aboul Gheit acknowledged the positive aspects of many European ideas concerning the necessary political horizon to conclude the conflict. He emphasised the need for action to accompany these proposals, urging European countries to take a crucial initial step by officially recognising the Palestinian state.
In a related context, Roshdy said that on the sidelines of the European meeting, Mr. Aboul Gheit held discussions with the Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tiani. During this meeting, the Secretary-General shared his perspective on the situation in Gaza, stressing the urgency of ending the war and initiating a political process leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state. Both parties expressed deep concern about the escalating situation in the region, particularly in the Red Sea.
