14/01/2013 (Agence Europe) -Van Rompuy/el-Arabi meeting. President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy met the leader of the Arab League, Nabil el-Arabi, in Cairo (Egypt) on 14 January to discuss ways of developing dialogue and co-operation between the EU and the Arab League. In a press release, Van Rompuy said that he was delighted with the increased cooperation at all levels between the two organisations and stated: “We discussed how to further act on the priorities identified for cooperation between the European Union and the League of Arab States, in particular in the areas of training and exchanges of diplomats, sharing experience on election observation and crisis management, which will be key for addressing future challenges”. Van Rompuy and el-Arabi discussed international challenges, particularly those in the region, especially the conflicts in the Middle East and Syria and developments in Mali. (CG/transl.fl)