1. At the invitation of H.E. Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, the ninth General Cooperation Meeting was held between the League of Arab States and the African Union Commission on February 1, 2021 at the headquarters of the League of Arab States’ General Secretariat in Cairo, under the co-chairmanship of Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit and H.E. Mr. Moussa Faki Mohamed, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, with the participation of senior officials from both sides.

2. Aboul Gheit and Faki reviewed all aspects of cooperation between the Arab League and the African Union in various fields and sectors of common interest, and they agreed on the importance of continuing to strengthen and develop this partnership to serve the strategic common goals of the two organizations.

3. They also discussed the current stage of the Africa-Arab Partnership, and ways to enhance its effectiveness, based on the historical ties and the depth of relations between Arab and African countries and peoples. They reviewed the efforts to implement Decisions of the Fourth Arab-African Summit held in 2016 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, and the joint plans and programs aimed at boosting joint efforts and activities of the Arab and African sides on the political, economic, social, developmental and cultural levels, and they looked forward to the holding of the fifth Arab-African summit in Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

4. The two sides discussed the overall developments and issues of concern in the joint Arab-African space, and the need to intensify Arab and African efforts towards settling crises and addressing challenges in the regions.

5. The two sides agreed on the importance of intensifying support to the parties in Libya on the path to peaceful settlement of the Libyan crisis on all fronts, as well as to support Sudan in the successful completion of its political transition, and to stand in solidarity with Somalia in laying the foundations of security and stability in all parts of the country. They also reviewed the overall situation in the Horn of Africa, and the need to encourage cooperation, integration, and good neighbour efforts in the region, and exchanged views in this regard on developments on the borders between Sudan and Ethiopia, the progress of the Renaissance Dam negotiations, supported by the African Union, between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, and the settlement of differences between Somalia and Kenya.

6. Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit expressed his sincere appreciation for the steadfast position of the African Union in support of the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, and Mr. Moussa Faki affirmed the steadfastness of the union’s position in advocating for Palestine and the just cause of the Palestinian people until they attain their freedom and an independent Palestinian state is established.

7. The two sides agreed to hold the Tenth General Cooperation Meeting between the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States and the African Union Commission in 2022 in Addis Ababa.