The Romanian Secretary of State for Global Affairs and Diplomatic Strategies, Cornel Feruță, had a meeting on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, with the Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States (LAS), Hossam Zaki.

During the meeting, the Romanian official stressed the importance that Romania attaches to multilateralism and the international system based on rules and, at the same time, highlighted the interest in strengthening Romania’s relationship with LAS, evoking the good relations that Romania has traditionally had with Arab states.

The two officials addressed issues related to the prospects of EU-LAS cooperation in areas of mutual interest such as migration, security, sustainable socio-economic and technological development, education and culture, in the context of the preparation, in 2022, of the second summit at a high level between the two organizations.

The need to identify synergies between the different existing forms of regional cooperation between Europe and various Arab states was also discussed, such as the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council relationship or the EU’s relationship with the Arab states in the Southern Neighborhood.

The talks between the two officials sparked a relevant exchange of views on important developments targeting various Arab states in the Middle East and North Africa, with a focus on the situation in Syria, Lebanon, Libya, and Yemen. The meeting also provided an opportunity for an in-depth dialogue on the prospects for the implementation of the Arab Peace Initiative, adopted by the LAS in 2002, and its articulation with other relevant initiatives to unlock and lead to a solution for the Middle East Peace Process.

This article was edited using a Romanian MFA’s press release.