Egyptian foreign minister has criticized the awkward move by the European Union (EU) to postpone next week’s ministerial meeting with the Arab League in response to Syria’s readmission to the pan-Arab organization, calling the decision regrettable.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry urged the EU to respect the decision made by the bloc during a press conference with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Sunday in Cairo, the capital of Egypt.
The European Union should have respected the League’s choice, but Shoukry argued that it was regrettable to postpone the Arab League’s meeting with the EU, which hadn’t taken place in four years.
read more: The influence of Syria’s return to the Arab League
Shoukry’s comments came after Borrell’s announcement that the EU and Arab League ministerial meeting will be postponed due to Syria’s return to the pan-Arab organization during their joint press conference on Sunday with Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
While claiming that the EU “fully respects” the “sovereign decision” of the Arab League, Borrell asserted that Syria was readmitted to the Arab League despite the fact that it had made no “meaningful efforts” to end the conflict. ”
The position of the European Union won’t change, he continued, “unless Damascus makes progress in implementing Security Council Resolution 2554 and other UN resolutions.”
In order to assist the Syrian people, Shoukry claimed that the decision to readmit Syria to the pan-Arab organization was made. The goal of stabilizing Syria must be our goal.”
The European Union also made the decision to bar representatives of the Damascus government from the seventh Brussels Conference on “Supporting the future of Syria and the region” in mid-June. ”.
The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Daesh, and other Takfiri terrorist organizations were represented at the event, according to a statement from the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.
The ministry continued by saying that the visitors are opposed to the wishes and fundamental interests of the Syrian people, thwart efforts to return Syrian refugees to their country and obstruct efforts to transport aid to districts that have been liberated or that have been severely damaged by earthquakes.
Few months ago in May, the 22-member Arab League lifted its suspension of Syria’s membership, welcoming the nation back to the league.
