Abul Gheit stresses Italy's important role backing Palestinians' rights

CAIRO - 26 September 2018: Arab League (AL) Secretary General Ahmed Abul Gheit highlighted the important role that Italy plays inside the European Union (EU) to maintain the European principles for backing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, topped by their right in establishing their independent State.

This came at a meeting that the AL chief held with Italian Foreign Minister Enzo Milanesi, which comes as part of Abul Gheit’s intensified meetings with the senior international officials taking part in the high-level meetings of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The AL chief pointed out to the role that Italy could play to support funding activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), amid the major financial crisis that it is currently facing after the US decided to cut its contributions to its budget, said a statement released by the AL on Wednesday.

Both sides exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues of mutual concern, said AL chief spokesman Ambassador Mahmoud Afifi.

Both sides also tackled the latest developments pertaining to the Libyan crisis, Afifi noted.

The meeting took up preparations for the first EU-Arab summit that is set to be held in Egypt in 2019, Afifi said.