Lead:
The Arab League Council, meeting at ministerial level in Amman on Monday, June 22, formally endorsed the appointment of former Egyptian Foreign Minister Ambassador Nabil Fahmy as the organization's new Secretary-General, succeeding Ahmad Abu al-Ghayt. The decision, taken during the resumed 165th ordinary session, was welcomed by Cairo and coincided with an unusually active day of Egyptian multilateral diplomacy spanning Palestinian unity, Lebanon-Israel talks, Iran-US negotiations, and a trilateral Arab cooperation mechanism.
Details:
According to Elbalad and Elfagr, the Arab League Ministerial Council formally approved Nabil Fahmy's appointment after receiving a mandate from Arab leaders. The council simultaneously extended deep gratitude to outgoing Secretary-General Ahmad Abu al-Ghayt for his tenure. Egypt's Foreign Ministry issued a formal statement welcoming the endorsement, describing it as a reflection of Arab confidence in Egyptian diplomatic leadership. MP Mohamed Abu al-Ainayn, President of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliament, also publicly congratulated Fahmy on assuming the post, as reported by Elbalad.
On the sidelines of the Amman session, Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdel Aaty held a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings. Elfagr and Elbalad report that Abdel Aaty convened a trilateral coordination meeting with Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi and his Iraqi counterpart, reaffirming Egypt's commitment to the Egypt-Jordan-Iraq trilateral cooperation mechanism. He also held separate meetings with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah, and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, with Elfagr noting that discussions with Bourita focused on outcomes of the first session of the Egyptian-Moroccan coordination and follow-up committee.
On broader regional matters, Elbalad reported that outgoing Secretary-General Abu al-Ghayt, in his opening address to the ministerial session, accused Israel of continuing occupation, expanding settlements, and committing what he described as a "genuine genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza. Meanwhile, Elbalad cited the Israeli Broadcasting Authority as reporting that Lebanon-Israel talks scheduled in Washington on Monday would focus on Israeli troop withdrawal issues. Separately, Newsd reported that Foreign Minister Abdel Aaty received a phone call on Sunday from US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, during which they reviewed developments in the US-Iran nuclear negotiation track.
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