Brussels, 12/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, will be visiting Egypt on Monday 12 November where she will participate in the second joint EU/Arab League meeting. The European ministers responsible for foreign affairs from the 27 member states, as well as the majority of their Arab colleagues are also expected to officially attend the meeting. A joint declaration is currently being drawn up but is not expected to be finalised until during the Cairo conference, which suggests that sharp differences remain with regard to the analysis of the situation in the region. Arab countries hope to highlight current Israeli policy, the increased number of settlements and the peace process in general, which they believe is compromised by decisions made by the current government in Israel. The situation in Syria will also be on the agenda.
Both sides have indicated that the differences regarding the Middle East are of long date. The EU has indicated its position in each specific case and intends to take into account the divergences at the meeting between the Arab countries themselves. Egypt is headed by a pro-Islamic government close to Hamas and at the end of October recalled an ambassador in Israel who had handed in his credentials to president Shimon Peres. There is consensus that the situation in Gaza over the past few days could lead to tougher lines being taken and the meeting simply being restricted to the publication of a “minimalist” declaration.
Europe's position itself does not come into question nor does its support for the Palestinians (support for Palestinian Authority structures, humanitarian aid, which is far greater than that granted by the Arab League and its members). Arab League countries, however, would like the EU's support to obtain UN recognition of a future Palestinian state. The importance of this meeting is primarily because of the fact that it was able to take place in such a context, according to Arab diplomats in Brussels and that once again (following the commitment made in Malta in 2005) it could lead to a commitment to cooperate according to a work programme currently being discussed. This could, however, remain purely at a theoretical level, as was the case five years ago. The Euro-Arab dialogue will, above all, have a “psycho-political” benefit that will enable Arab countries dispose of a number of controversial subjects. One of the advantages noted would be to avoid the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) becoming beset by such debates on subjects that have paralysed Euro-Mediterranean dialogue bodies.
Between 1975 and 1981, the EU and the Arab League developed a structured dialogue at both political and technical levels but which effectively produced nothing other than the famous “Venice declaration” (13 June 1980) underpinning European recognition of Palestinian interests. (FB/transl.fl)