SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Sunday, February 24, 2019 (WAFA) – The Palestinian issue will be at the top of the agenda of the Arab League-European Union (EU) summit which will kick off today in Egypt‘s Sharm El-Sheikh sea resort, said Palestinian diplomats.

"The countries of the EU have positive attitudes towards the Palestinian cause...all 28 members of the EU reject settlements and refuse to change the status quo in Jerusalem in addition to their support of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees)," the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to the European Union, Abdel Rahim Al-Farra, told WAFA.

He stressed the need to find an international mechanism for a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause, adding that the next Arab-European summit will be held in 2022 in Brussels.

“The final statement of the summit will address the Palestinian issue," said Farra.

"The Arab-European Summit, with the participation of the President Mahmoud Abbas, and the presence of 50 Arab and European countries, is historic as it will gather them for the first time;" he said.

Farra added that the summit will discuss many topics of common interest, mainly terrorism, migration, strategic and economic cooperation, stressing that the positive attitudes of the European Union must be invested in the summit.

Starting today, leaders and government heads of 28 European countries and 21 Arab states will be convening a two-day summit in Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss joint challenges and boost mutual cooperation opportunities.

This is the first ever platform that brings together the Arab and European heads of state and government to tackle the pressing issues, atop of which terrorism, organized crime and illegal immigration.

Meanwhile, Diab Al-Louh, ambassador of Palestine to Cairo and its permanent representative to the Arab League, said the Palestinian cause is at the top of the agenda of the first Arab-European summit.

He stressed that the presence of President Abbas is of great importance, as he will hold several meetings with a number of presidents and officials on the sidelines of the summit today.

"The final statement of summit will confirm the historic status of the city of East Jerusalem as an integral part of the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967," Ambassador Louh told WAFA.

He stressed that the statement will emphasize the need to end the Israeli occupation and find a just and comprehensive solution based on the two-state solution and all relevant international legitimacy resolutions relating to the Palestinian issue.

"We attach high hopes to this summit to make a major breakthrough in international political positions in favor of the Palestinian cause," he said.

A.D./M.K.