Arab League, Egyptian officials meet on preparations for signing Arab joint force protocol

A coordination meeting between Egyptian and Arab League officials was held in Cairo on Sunday.

The talks aimed to complete all preparations for Thursday's joint meeting of Arab defense and foreign ministers under Egypt, the current president of the Arab summit, to sign the protocol of forming the Arab joint force.

The talks dealt with various logistical, organizational and security preparations for the upcoming meeting, military adviser for the AL secretary general Mahmoud Khaliqa told reporters after the meeting.

Thursday's meeting will enforce the resolution of Sharm El Sheikh's Arab Summit to form the Arab joint force, the AL official said.

The force aims to secure Arab national security and eliminate terrorism, he added.

On March 29, the Arab leaders have decided to agree on the principle of a joint Arab military force during Sharm El Sheikh's Arab Summit.

On May 26, Army chiefs of staff from Arab League countries drafted a protocol for the joint force.

On June 28, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi received the draft protocol to form the force during a meeting with Secretary General of the Arab League Nabil el Araby and Egyptian Army Chief of Staff Mahmoud Hegazy.

Sisi said the draft was a result of joint Arab efforts intended to combat common challenges and particularly terrorist organizations.

He added that this force is for defense and not attack, saying it is not formed to be against any faction.