Terrorism, migration key topics of first EU-Arab summit

The final communique of the first Arab-European summit focused on efforts to tackle the migrant crisis as well as the challenges posed by terror financing.

At the conclusion of the summit on Monday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said the two blocs agreed to hold regular summit meetings, with the next one due in Brussels in 2022.

“I am confident that these discussions have clarified the strategies and the direction of mutual points of interest between the countries here today,” Sisi said.

The summit’s final communique included many agreements between the two blocs, including one on strengthening Arab-European partnership and supporting a genuine international multilateral system.

An agreement was also reached on resolving the Libyan crisis under the Skhirat agreement as well as reiterating the importance of following up on the Stockholm ceasefire agreement in Hodeidah in Yemen.

Stopping illegal immigration as well as efforts to combat financial support for terrorist groups were heavily discussed during the two-day summit.

For his part, Donald Tusk, the head of the European Council, also spoke of migration in his address at the summit.

“We must work together - countries of origin, transit, and destination in order to break the business model of smugglers and traffickers who lure people into dangerous journeys and feed modern-day slavery,” Tusk said.

On the Palestinian issue, Arab and European leaders agreed to renew commitments toward common positions on the Middle East peace process, including one focused on a two-state solution.