Human rights the elephant in the room at Arab-EU summit
The first summit of European Union and Arab League leaders exposed existing rifts between the Middle East and Europe, in particular on the human rights front.
When leaders from the European Union and the Arab League met in Sharm el-Sheikh for their first summit Feb. 24-25, the aim was to "boost cooperation" and "find common ground" on shared challenges in their regions. The issues of terrorism and migration dominated the gathering, convened under the banner “Investing in Stability.” Despite officials hailing the talks as a "new step in EU-Arab relations," no formal agreements were reached, a perhaps not unexpected result given the divisions within both camps and differences between the two blocs on human rights.
The summit was mired in tensions from the onset, with Europe divided over migration and several Arab countries embroiled in an ongoing dispute with Qatar. At a preparatory meeting in Brussels before the summit, Hungary had threatened to block the EU's proposed final declaration, because it opposes cooperating with North African states on migration. Hungary has closed its borders to Middle Eastern and African refugees fleeing conflicts at home, declaring them "economic migrants seeking better lives" and a threat to Hungary and all of Europe. Meanwhile, the rift with Qatar dates back to summer 2017, when Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt severed ties with the Gulf state, alleging that it supports terrorism and is destabilizing the region.
Adding to summit tensions was the October murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, allegedly on the order of Saudi officials. Western leaders have since largely snubbed Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's crown prince and de facto ruler. To the European delegates' relief, his father, King Salman, represented the kingdom at the summit.
Hossam Zaki, assistant secretary general of the Arab League, brushed off criticisms of the summit as "ceremonial" and "insignificant" in light of the lack of tangible results save the meeting having actually taken place. "The fact that the summit was held was in itself a success," he told Al-Monitor. "To offer all those leaders the opportunity to talk to each other increases the chances of understanding. That in itself is an achievement for a first gathering of its kind."
