Arab-European meeting in Brussels , Syrian issue is most prominent

NEWS DESK

Foreign ministers of Arab and European countries are to hold talks and exchange views on a number of issues of mutual concern in Brussels.

According to Al-Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, "efforts are being made to adopt" conditional engagement "at the forthcoming Euro-Arab summit in the Egyptian capital, in addition to the European countries and donors' commitment to" link the participation in the reconstruction of Syria to progress in the political process and support the mission of international envoy Geir Pederson.

Informed sources said that "some countries stipulated that the normalization process with Damascus should be held for the Euro-Mediterranean summit, and that major European countries would not accept that the joint summit would be legitimate for the Tunis summit resolution to normalize with the Syrian regime."

The sources noted that American and European "advices" also contributed to "curbing normalization", whether through protests by Western ambassadors or through US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to the Arab region last month, as well as European sanctions against persons close to Damascus, The American draft resolution awaiting President Donald Trump's approval concerns "punishing those involved in reconstruction."

A.H

ANHA