Foreign relations of the Arab League

The Arab League was founded in 1945 and has 22 members.

The Organization has Three observer members Eritrea, India and Venezuela. Turkey and Iran have both expressed their desire to join as observers, Fact|date=October 2008 but their requests were delayed due to political problems with other Arab states, especially Iraq, Egypt and Syria.Fact|date=October 2008

the Arab League itself is an Observer in several International and regional organizations, such as the Non-Aligned Movement, the African Union, the United Nations, and has observed several summits of ASEAN.

[
[http://faculty.winthrop.edu/haynese/mlas/al1.htmlA] ] legend|#ACE1AF|European Union and African Union]

flagicon|African Union African Union

Even though there are nine Arab League members that are also members of the African Union, The Arab League/African Union relations officially started in 1977 when the AU was the OAU, when both organizations announced their cooperation in financial, political and economic issues. With a summit between both organizations in Cairo that same year, they have signed several treaties to include each other to improve cooperation. the Treaty also included a Military cooperation and Understanding too. On the 16th of January 2008, the Arab League sent a Delegation to the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Capital, to gain Experience from the African Security and Peace Council, which has been in work since 2004, the Arab League's decision to create an Arab Peace and Security Council was taken following the 2006 Lebanon war, in a procedure to place Peace keeping forces into Darfure, South Lebanon, and Somalia, other regions such as Iraq have not been announced or spoken of, since the Arab League's official Stance denounces any form of Foreign troops in Iraq, to maintain stability.

flagicon|ASEANASEAN

By January 2008 the AL and ASEAN had no significant relations, but the Arab League's Economic Council decided to Expand economic cooperation with Regional blocks, to benefit from their Economic experience and development, and started contacting the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), to build better relations and to increase investments from this region, and to learn from their Economic Achievements to be applied in the League.which will help the Arab States to increase inner investments and inner imports and exports, the Head of the Delegation, also secretary General of the Arab Council for Economic Development (ACED), Dr. Ahmed Jweily to sign a treaty of understanding and cooperation Between the Two Organizations. the Delegation concluded the visit announcing that three New Arab Unions are to be proposed for the Council's 87th summit in its following Period.

PRC

China's economic boom has led to the oil addiction it was suffering to boom with it. Chinese-Arab relations in the past few years have increased fast with several Arab-Chinese business forums, conferences and meetings to increase trade and Cooperation.China is Sudan's second biggest invester, after Arab States. Sudan's oil that seems to be large, is being sent to China.Some of China's first foreign relations were made with Arab States such as Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq and Syria.

in 2008 the Arab League and People's republic of China, following a Visit by the Arab League secretary general, have agreed to create an Annual forum between the two of them, on an Economical, Environmental and Political levels, with the Ministers of these section of China, and the Representative of the Ministerial Arab Councils, by 2009, the forum is expected to expand to include Nuclear projects.

The Joint Communiqué

one of the major Joint Projects involves the Environment, the AL and PROC signed the Executive Program of the Joint Communiqué between the Environmental Cooperation for 2008 – 2009

The League of Arab States and the Government of People’s Republic of China signed the Joint Communiqué on Environmental Cooperation (referred to as the Joint Communiqué) on June 1, 2006. The Joint Communiqué is an important instrument that aims at deepening the regional environmental partnership between the two parties. Since the signing of the Joint Communiqué, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection have coorganized two environmental protection training courses in June 2006 and June 2007 respectively in China.

In order to implement article 4 of the Joint Communiqué, both parties shall develop this Executive Program for 2008 and 2009. It aims at enhancing the cooperation between the League of Arab States and China in the field of environmental protection, which is in line with the common aspiration of the two parties and the long term interests and will help to promote the friendship between the two parties.

The two parties will try to involve relevant government departments andsectors, and will actively promote and seek cooperation on the projects andactivities in the following areas:

01*Environmental Policies and Legislation02*Biodiversity Conservation03*Prevention and Control of Water Pollution, Waste Management and Controlof Other Kinds of Pollution04*Cooperation on Combating Desertification and Managing Water Resources inArid Areas05*Coordinating the Stand on Global Environmental Issues06*Environmental Industry07*Enhancing Environmental Education and Raising Public Awareness inEnvironment08*Other Projects that the two may develop and implement other projects of common interest after negotiating with relevant government departments and sectors.09*Financial Arrangements10*Final Provisions

Signing this treaty was Arab Ambassador Ahmed Benhelli Under secretary general Am Moussa's Approval, and Xu Qinghua Director General Department for International Cooperation, Ministry of Environmental Protection. [ [http://www.arableagueonline.org/las/arabic/details_ar.jsp?art_id=5057&level_id=725 League of Arab States ] ]

EU

The Arab League and European Union have shared relations since the EU's development into a more political power rather than an economical one, in the 19th summit of the Arab League in Saudi Arabia, Javier Solana attended the summit, giving the EU's full support to the Arab League's Peace Initiative of 2002. Following this summit, he had several meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa.In the summit, he addressed the Arab Leaders:

"once again we find ourselves together, the European Union and the Arab League, once again we have an opportunity to re-affirm our joint commitment to the values of civilisation that we share, more than ever Europeans and Arabs have to face common challenges, I am confident that we will find new ways to improve our cooperation" [cite web| last =| first =| authorlink =| coauthors =| title =Summary of remarks by Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for CFSP, at the 19th Arab League Summit. Riyadh, 28 March 2007| work =| publisher =Council of the European Union| date =| url =http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/discours/93397.pdf| format =PDF| doi =| accessdate =2007-10-30 ]

FRA

France has been Historically with close relations with the Arab world, starting with the Maghrib region, and the Near East, but France's closest relations are considered to be with Algeria, where it served as a colony of France for around 200 years, with a bloody independence war, relations today are good, France is considered to have the Cordialest relations with All Arab states, with a large Aarb population in France counting to around 1 million Arabs, France holds the Biggest Arab Cultural center outside the Arab league.

*Algeria"main article"

*Lebanon"main article"Since the end of the Lebanese civil war, France has played an active role in the reconstruction of Lebanon. The Hexagon is the leading investor in the Country of Ceders.

*Libya"main article"Libya developed particularly close relations with France after the June 1967 War, when France relaxed its arms embargo on nonfront-line Middle East combatants and agreed to sell weapons to the Libyans. In 1974 Libya and France signed an agreement whereby Libya exchanged a guaranteed oil supply for technical assistance and financial cooperation.

IND

an Observer in The Organization, it is the First Member to enter the League without having an Arab Population.India is a major labor exporter to the Arab world, esecially in the rich Gulf States.

IRN

Iranian-Arab relations have always been very mixed. Within the Middle East historical conflicts have always colored neighbouring Arab countries' perceptions about Iran. At times peacefully coexisting, while at other times in bitter conflict. North African Arabs from the have for the larger part enjoyed closer relations with Iran due to limited historical connection between them and Iran.

ISR

Only three Arab States recognize Israel: Egypt, Mauritania and Jordan, though it should be noted that these relations are not normal and contain inherent problems.
Qatar on the other hand has trade relations with Israel rather than political ones.Relations with Israel have deteriorated following the second intifada.

PAK

Pakistan has a long historical relationship with the region, today there are over 1 million Pakistanis living and working in the Gulf region of the Arab League. In 2007 Pakistani president attended the Arab League summit held in Riyadh; though several thought that Pakistan was an observer member it wasn't, unlike its neighbour India. Pakistan has long been a supporter of several Arab causes, including Sudan, Palestine, Iraq and Somalia.

RUS

Russia with its strong diplomatic relations with Arab States from the Soviet Era, is trying to regain its strength by supporting their causes, especially in the Security Council.

TUR

Turkey has expressed desires for an observer status in the League, and has been refused for several political reasons, one of the reasons for refusals came from Iraq and Syria due to the Turkish Water Projects on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, especially the Atatürk Dam, also the self-annexation of the Hatay State to Turkey in 1939 was never recognized by Syria, which continues to show the Hatay Province of Turkey as part of Syria's territory in its maps. another reason for the refusal was the Turkish recognition of the State of Israel.

Today, Turkey has a better Relations with Arab Countries, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Tunisia, it is also the main Broker in the Israeli-Syrian Peace process, on the other hand, A primary concern for Turkey was an independent Kurdish state arising from a destabilised Iraq; it has previously fought an insurgent war on its own soil, in which an estimated 37,000 people lost their lives, against the PKK (listed as a terrorist organization by a number of states and organisations, including the U.S. and the EU).

USA

The United States’ relationship with the Arab World prior to the Second World War was limited. Moreover, in comparison to European powers such as Britain and France which had managed to colonise almost all of the Arab World after defeating the Ottoman Empire in 1918, the United States was popular and respected throughout the Arab World. Indeed, Americans were seen as good people, untainted by the selfishness and duplicity associated with the Europeans. American missionaries had brought modern medicine and set up educational institutions all over the Arab World. Moreover, the US had provided the Arab World with highly skilled petroleum engineers. Thus, there were some connections, which were made between the United States and the Arab World before the Second World War. Other examples of corporations between the US and the Arab World are the Red Line Agreement signed in 1928 and the Anglo-American Petroleum Agreement signed in 1944. Both of these agreements were legally binding and reflected an American interest in control of Arab and Middle Eastern energy resources, namely oil, and moreover reflected an American security imperative to prevent the (re)emergence of a powerful regional rival. The Red Line Agreement had been part of a network of agreements made in the 1920s to restrict supply of petroleum and ensure that the major [mostly American] companies…could control oil prices on world markets. The Red Line agreement governed the development of Arab oil for the next two decades. The Anglo-American Petroleum Agreement of 1944 was based on negotiations between the United States and Britain over the control of Arab and Middle Eastern oil.

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UZB

Arab League relations with Uzbekistan have been almost inexistent until 2007. Then the Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa and the Uzbek president Islam Karimov have met to carry on discussions held previously in Cairo, for more Arab cooperation with Central Asia and more Central Asian support for Arab causes, such as Iraq, Sudan and Palestine. [ [http://www.arableagueonline.org/las/arabic/news_details_ar.jsp?art_id=897 League of Arab States] (Arabic)]

VEN

Venezuela is the only Observer member in the new world, it has a large Arab population from Lebanon and Palestine, and has supported the Palestinian Cause, and is the only Latin American country to cut off ties with Israel.

Foreign relations of member states

References