EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Wednesday supported the idea proposed by European Council President Donald Tusk to hold a joint summit with the Arab League.
BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2018) EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Wednesday supported the idea proposed by European Council President Donald Tusk to hold a joint summit with the Arab League.
Earlier in the day, Tusk said that he will propose to the EU leaders during an informal summit in Salzburg to hold a joint summit with the Arab League in Egypt in February.
"I support very much president Tusk's proposal to have a summit with the League of Arab States. This is an idea that we had put on the table already two years ago with the foreign ministers of the Arab League and of the European Union. I think it is important because it is included in the idea of building partnerships and cooperative approach with all partners, especially around the Mediterranean," Mogherini told reporters ahead of the Salzburg meeting.
Brussels already has partnerships with many Arab League members such as Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia, according to the official.
At the same time, the foreign policy chief underlined that having partnerships with the North African and Asian countries on prevention of undocumented migrants' flow does not mean "a discharge" of the bloc's own responsibilities.
"We have to be very much aware of the fact that the Europeans have to take their own responsibilities and that other countries cannot take responsibilities instead of the Europeans. So partnership approach doesn't mean having a discharge of responsibilities on other shore of Mediterranean," Mogherini said.
Since 2015, Europe has been facing a migration crisis, with scores of refugees arriving from countries rife with conflict. Many of them are attempting to reach the continent via the Mediterranean Sea. Many members of the Arab League are used as transit countries for refugees seeking to flee their countries of origin.
