EU-Arab League Summit in Egypt 'Insignificant, Ceremonial'

Date: 24 February 2019 - 21:17

News ID: ۶۳۴۹۶

CAIRO (Al Jazeera) – Leaders from Arab League and European Union member nations convened on Sunday in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh for the first ever EU-Arab League summit as the region faces turmoil and political challenges.
Overshadowed by internal divisions and issues, including the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) crisis, regional wars, and Brexit, the two-day summit aims to "strengthen Arab-European ties", according to an EU statement.
At least 24 European leaders are welcomed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who will be co-chairing the summit with European Council President Donald Tusk.
Leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and the Italian and British prime ministers, Giuseppe Conte and Theresa May, will be in attendance.
It remains unclear how many countries of the 22-member Arab League are attending the meet, especially whether Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has been under mounting international pressure over the Khashoggi killing, would be there.
On the agenda, which officials struggled to settle on, are the issues of migration, security, the Middle East "peace” process, and the wars in Yemen, Syria, and Libya - countries which suffer from armed conflict, political deadlock, and economic deterioration.
But analysts say nothing fruitful will come out of the "ceremonial" meeting, which has been dubbed a "publicity stunt" for President el-Sisi.
"I personally do not expect much from this summit. It is too big to have the participants agree on any of the issues that are on the table for discussion," said Marwan Kabalan, a Syrian writer and researcher at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies.
Kabalan believes the summit will endorse Sisi as a regional leader despite his government's controversial policies that have unleashed a crackdown on dissent in the country.
Last week, Egyptian authorities executed nine suspected Muslim Brotherhood members convicted of the involvement in the assassination of Egypt's top prosecutor Hisham Barakat.
No one claimed responsibility for the 2015 attack against Barakat, but the authorities blamed members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood of overthrown President Mohamed Morsi.
Earlier this month, Egypt's parliament backed a proposal to extend the former general's rule until 2034 - a move that has garnered widespread criticism from opposition figures and activists.
Similarly, Mahjoob Zweiri, an expert on Middle East politics, said the Egyptians want to maintain the Arab League as a tool to help give them political leverage in the Arab world.
"Without the league, Egypt has nothing, no impact whatsoever," Zweiri told Al Jazeera. "Even while it's dysfunctional, they will keep it going."

Workers prepare the International Congress Center in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on February 23, 2019, a day before it is set to host the first European Union (EU)-Arab League summit.