Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, concluded a two-day official visit to the Republic of Cyprus on 7 and 8 January, at the invitation of the Cypriot government, within the framework of strengthening cooperation and the strategic partnership between the League of Arab States and the Republic of Cyprus.
Gamal Roshdy, the official spokesperson for the Secretary-General, stated that the visit included a series of meetings with senior Cypriot officials. The Secretary-General met with His Excellency President Nikos Christodoulides in a bilateral meeting during which they discussed relations between the League of Arab States and Cyprus, as well as regional and international developments of mutual interest. During the meeting, the Secretary-General expressed his appreciation for Cyprus' supportive positions on the Palestinian cause in international forums, and stressed the important role Cyprus can play, during its presidency, in enhancing Arab-European dialogue and cooperation and in advancing the strategic partnership between the two sides.
The spokesperson added that the Secretary-General also held a meeting with Ms. Anita Demetriou, President of the Cypriot Parliament, during which they discussed the role of parliamentary diplomacy in supporting the region's causes, commending Cyprus' positive role in promoting understanding between the Arab world and Europe.
In the course of expanded talks held by Mr. Aboul Gheit with Mr. Konstantinos Kombos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, the two sides exchanged views on the prospects for a ceasefire in Gaza and the related arrangements concerning the future of the Palestinian cause. They also discussed prospects for future cooperation across various fields, in addition to coordination on a number of regional issues, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean, and addressed the resumption of the Arab-European ministerial meeting in the near future following a hiatus of several years.
During the meeting, the Secretary-General noted that Cyprus' presidency of the Council of the European Union offers an exceptional opportunity to deepen dialogue between the two sides on shared issues, particularly those related to security and stability in the Mediterranean region. He expressed his confidence that Cyprus would play an effective role during its presidency in strengthening the strategic partnership between the Arab world and Europe, in a manner that serves common interests and enhances security and prosperity in the region.
The official spokesperson further stated that the Secretary-General participated in the official ceremony hosted by the Cypriot government on the occasion of the Republic of Cyprus assuming the presidency of the Council of the European Union for the current term. The ceremony was attended by the Presidents of Lebanon and Iraq, the President of the Council of the European Union, the President of the European Commission, as well as a number of Arab and European ministers, officials, and diplomats accredited in Nicosia.
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