Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry is to attend an international meeting in Jeddah to discuss "combating terrorism" on Thursday, according to a foreign ministry statement. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, Jordan, Turkey and the US will also attend the meeting, according to the official Saudi press agency. Attendees will discuss the latest developments caused by the spread of the "terrorism phenomenon and the rise of terrorist groups" throughout different parts of the Middle East. This meeting will take place before the UN's annual General Assembly meeting, where terrorism will be amongst the main topics on the agenda. Arab foreign ministers recently gathered in Cairo to discuss the region's crises, particularly in Gaza, Syria, and Iraq, and included a discussion of ways to deal with the terrorism phenomenon. At a NATO summit press conference last week, US President Barak Obama said it is "critical" that Arab states join in combating the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS), an extremist group which poses itself as an "Islamic state". Arab League Secretary General Nabil El-Araby previously called for unity in confronting threats facing the Arab world. The "size of the challenges exceeds the procedures undertaken to maintain security in the region," he said in an earlier meeting. El-Araby also stressed the Arab League's willingness to combat the threat of extremism, especially in the fight against ISIS. US Secretary of State John Kerry left the US on Tuesday for Jordanian capital Amman and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he will discuss regional issues and the current situation in Iraq. During his travels across the region, Kerry will also "consult with key partners and allies on how to further support the security and stability of the Iraqi government". Also up for discussion will be ways to "combat the threat posed by ISIL [ISIS], and confront Middle East security challenges", according to the US State Department.
