League of Arab States (LAS) and the EU
Dialogue and cooperation between the European Union and the League of Arab States (LAS) builds on mutual interest for prosperity and security and is an integral part of the Euro-Arab relations. Regular high-level dialogues aim to discuss joint responses to common global and regional challenges, preventing and counteracting crises in order to build peace in the region.
The League of Arab States (LAS) with its seat in Cairo, Egypt is an intergovernmental organisation encompassing all Arab states in the Middle East and North Africa, established in Cairo on March 22, 1945, following the adoption of the Alexandria Protocol in 1944. Currently it gathers 22 Arab countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The Arab League’s mandate focuses on strengthening relations between its member states, coordination of their policies and co-operation between them while safeguarding the independence and sovereignty of each member. Over the years, the Arab League has created frameworks for pan-Arabic cooperation on political, security, economic and legal issues. As the only pan-Arab organisation, the EU’s cooperation with LAS provides a unique opportunity to develop closer relations between the Arab World and the European Union.
