Egypt Slams EU's Decision to Cancel Arab League Meeting over Syria's Readmission
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Egypt strongly criticized the European Union's (EU) recent move to cancel the upcoming ministerial meeting with the Arab League due to Syria's readmission to the pan-Arab body, describing it as regrettable.
During a press briefing in Cairo on Sunday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, alongside EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, called on the EU to respect the Arab League's decision.
"The League's decision had to be appreciated by the European Union, but canceling its meeting with the Arab League, which had not been held for four years, was a regrettable decision," Shoukry said. His remarks followed Borrell's joint press conference with Secretary General of the League of Arab States Ahmed Aboul Gheit, where they announced the postponement of the EU-Arab League ministerial meeting due to Syria's return to the pan-Arab body.
While Borrell acknowledged the Arab League's "sovereign decision" and claimed that the EU "fully respects" it, he claimed that Syria's readmission occurred despite the lack of "meaningful efforts towards solving the conflict." He said the EU's position would remain unchanged until Damascus demonstrated progress in implementing United Nations resolutions, particularly Security Council Resolution 2554.
Shoukry stressed that Syria's readmission to the Arab League was intended to support the Syrian people and expressed the need to work towards restoring stability in the country.
In mid-June, the EU also excluded representatives from the Syrian government from the seventh Brussels Conference on "Supporting the future of Syria and the region." The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates criticized the conference organizers, saying that only individuals associated with corrupt entities such as Daesh, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and other terrorist groups were invited. The ministry further said that these guests opposed the desires and interests of the Syrian nation, hindered repatriation efforts for Syrian refugees, and impeded humanitarian aid delivery to liberated and earthquake-affected areas.
In early May, the Arab League lifted its suspension of Syria's membership in the 22-member pan-Arab body.
