At the invitation of H.E. Mr.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), the
Eighth General Cooperation Meeting between the African Union Commission and the
League of Arab States (LAS) was held on 22 July 2019 at the headquarters of the
AUC in Addis Ababa, under the co-chairmanship of H.E. Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat,
Chairperson of AUC and H.E. Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the
League of Arab States, with the participation of senior officials from both
organizations.
H.E. Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat and
H.E. Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit reaffirmed their mutual commitment to advancing the
multiple areas of cooperation between the African Union and League of Arab
States and further promoting the Arab-Africa partnership which is underpinned
by the strategic relationship, historic ties and shared priorities between both
sides.
The two leaders discussed a broad
array of political developments and security challenges in the African and Arab
regions, and exchanged views on how AUC and LAS can further strengthen their
cooperation and complementary activities in support of regional peace,
security, stability and development.
They especially reiterated their
call for an immediate de-escalation of the situation in Libya and cessation of
hostilities among the parties to allow for the resumption of an inclusive
political process aimed at reaching a peaceful, broad-based consensual
resolution to the Libyan crisis. The AU and LAS committed to pursuing their
joint complementary efforts in order to accompany the Libyan parties to reach a
comprehensive peaceful settlement of the conflict. They welcomed the conclusion,
through the African mediation and support of LAS, of the Political Agreement
between the Transitional Military Council and Forces of the Declaration of
Freedom and Change in Sudan, and encouraged the parties to pursue their efforts
to agree on and implement all the arrangements and modalities to ensure the
success of the democratic transition. The AU and LAS agreed to intensify their
coordination in support of the implementation of the transition agreements. They
reiterated their support to the Federal Government of Somalia towards
consolidating security and stability throughout Somalia, and agreed to
intensify their efforts in support of regional peace, security and cooperation
in the Horn of Africa.
H.E. Mr. Aboul Gheit expressed his
gratitude to the AU for its steadfast positions in support of the Palestinian
people and their legitimate right to establish their own independent State with
East Jerusalem as its capital. The two sides reiterated their rejection of all
unilateral measures that undermine the prospects for a just and lasting
negotiated settlement based on the two-state solution. They agreed to further
their cooperation in support of Palestine, including at the United Nations and through
the trilateral mechanism on Palestine established between AUC, LAS and the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
The two sides reviewed the ongoing
counter-terrorism efforts, initiatives and operations in the region, including
in the Lake Chad Basin, the Sahel and other areas of African-Arab geographical
convergence, and expressed their resolve to pursue their efforts in a
complementary manner to address these threats and emerging challenges to the
security and stability of the region.
H.E. Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit
congratulated the African Union on the successful launching of the operational
phase of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The two sides
expressed their confidence that this important development, along with LAS
efforts to further operationalize the Greater Arab Free Trade Area, will
contribute to the promotion of inter-Arab African economic cooperation,
investment and trade.
The two leaders agreed on the
importance of advancing the institutional cooperation between the African Union
and League of Arab States vis-à-vis all issues of mutual priority both at the
bilateral, regional and multilateral levels. They decided, for this purpose, to
elaborate a Protocol to the General Agreement on Cooperation between the AU and
LAS and for their endorsement and signature.
The two sides reviewed the
progress attained thus far in the implementation of the declarations and
resolutions adopted by the 4th Arab-Africa Summit held in Malabo in
November 2016. They especially agreed to swiftly finalize the elaboration of
the Joint Arab-Africa Action Plan for submission and endorsement by African and
Arab Ministers of Foreign Affairs in accordance with the conclusions of the
Malabo Summit.
They also resolved to pursue
their joint efforts to advance the other areas of cooperation within the Arab
Africa partnership, including the consolidation of the activities of the
Afro-Arab Cultural Institute, the organization of the Arab Africa Trade Fair,
the establishment of the Arab Africa Disaster Response Fund, and addressing the
shared challenges of migration.
The two sides expressed their
determination to advance their cooperation towards convening the 5th
Arab Africa Summit to be held in Riyadh in November 2019. In this regard, H.E.
Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat and H.E. Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit agreed to accelerate
their joint efforts for the entirety of the preparatory process to ensure the
successful convening of the Summit and its outcomes that would further elevate
and afford added momentum to the strategic partnership between the two sides.
The two sides agreed to convene
the 9th General Cooperation Meeting between AUC and LAS in Cairo in
2020.