First meeting of Arab chiefs of staff kicks off in Cairo

Arab chiefs of staff convened their first meeting under Egypt's Mahmoud Hegazi early Wednesday to discuss the formation of a joint Arab force.

The meeting comes in light of a resolution by the recent Arab Summit in Sharm el Sheikh to establish the force.

The Arab chiefs of staff will discuss tasks of that force and how it should be financed.

The meeting will also take up executive measures and mechanisms of action, as well as the budget needed to form the force.

A committee grouping Egypt, the current head of the summit, Kuwait, the former head of the summit, and Morocco, the next head of the summit, will refer the outcome of the meeting to Arab leaders in four months.

The 26th Arab Summit, which was held in Sharm el Sheikh on March 28-29, had endorsed a decision by Arab foreign ministers to form a joint Arab force.

Arab leaders had urged chiefs of staff to meet within a month to discuss mechanisms to form the force meant to protect Arab national security.

It had assigned Arab League Secretary General Nabil el Araby to coordinate with Egypt to host a meeting of top brass under the auspices of Arab chiefs of staff within a month.

Arab leaders agreed to form the force but did not oblige states to join.

The joint force will be tasked with quick military interventions aimed to face threats to Arab security,safety and sovereignty, particularly the threat of terrorist organizations.

The decision comes in line with Article II of the AL Charter and relevant articles in the Arab joint defense treaty, as well as Arab Summit resolutions.