Secretary General of the Arab League Nabil El-Araby voiced Monday the urgent need for establishing "joint Arab military force" to combat terrorism. El-Araby said during a meeting with Arab foreign ministers in preparation for the upcoming Arab League summit on 23 March, that a multi-task force is needed. The force would be able to conduct missions of emergency intervention, combating terrorism and help peace keeping, according to state media. He added that this suggestion comes in the framework of "collective responsibility that countries and nations hold towards serious challenges we face". Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry talked of the challenges facing Arab nations, ranging from terrorism, to the state of institutions, in his speech at the meeting. Shoukry said the Palestine issue was a top priority for cooperative Arab work, and stressed the importance of lifting the Gaza Strip's siege. "Egypt had the initiative of working with the Syrian opposition in order to reach mutual grounds, and we're looking forward to next month's conference of Syrian opposition in Cairo to find the political solution that achieves the hopes of the Syrian people in a democratic regime that protects Syria and the region from terrorism and extremism," he said. Shoukry also talked about the Libya situation, asserting Egypt's support for the Libyan government and parliament. He also called for support of the legitimate Libyan government to achieve sovereignty in all Libyan land and properly fight terrorism. "Egypt supports the legitimate Yemeni figures and institutions and the importance of the unity of the Yemeni lands, and we stress the importance of the preceding of consultations of all political parts sponsored by the United Nations," he added.
