Critical issues impacting regional peace and the future development of the Middle East were discussed at a high level ministerial meeting in Luxembourg, which was attended by UAE Minister of State, H. E. Dr Sultan Al Jaber, deputizing for UAE Foreign Minister, H.H Sheikh Abdulla bin Zayed.

The humanitarian crisis in Syria,the deteriorating situation in Iraq, the Middle East peace process and developments in Egypt were the focus of the discussions, co-chaired by the UAE, Luxembourg and the International Peace Institute (IPI), an independent international not-for-profit think tank.A number of Foreign Ministers together with senior representatives of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), attended the meeting.

Dr Al Jaber said: “This was a timely opportunity to exchange views and ideas on developments in the Middle East. In particular, our talks focused on the humanitarian crisis afflicting Syria, the situation in Iraq and their wider impact on the Middle East peace process. The efforts being made to bring stability to Egypt were also discussed.

"Peace and security are the keys to unlocking economic prosperity and human development in the region. Finding new and innovative solutions to the region’s overlapping and interlinked conflicts, is central to creating the necessary conditions for a sustainable future across the Middle East.”

Among those taking part in the informal working dinnerwerethe Foreign Ministers of Germany, Lebanon, Greece, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Norway, Malta and Sweden, as well asthe deputy Foreign Ministers of Slovakia and Bulgaria. Yasser Abed Rabbo, Secretary General of the PLO’s Executive Committee and PeterMaureer, President of the ICRC also participated.

The gathering, which followed the Chatham House rule of non-attribution,was the latest in a series of informal ministerial meetings, involving the UAE,which have focused on geopolitical events in the Middle East.

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