CAIRO
The chiefs of staff of Arab armies on Sunday reached an agreement in Cairo on the formation of a joint Arab military force, a senior Arab League official has said.
The Arab army top brass are expected to refer the protocol of the force to the Arab summit, which will be held in March of next year, for Arab leaders to endorse it, Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi added.
The Arab chiefs of staff discussed the formation of the force over two days in Cairo.
Al-Arabi described their agreement as a "major achievement", saying the joint force would be of extreme importance, given the challenges faced by Arab countries at present.
During their two-day meeting in Cairo – the second on the joint Arab military force – the Arab top generals discussed legal and organizational issues related to the formation of the force. They also discussed its mission, its work mechanisms and its funding.
No information was immediately available about the protocol, which was referred on Sunday, to the next Arab summit.
The first meeting was held in Cairo on the force on April 22.
During the meeting, Arab chiefs of staff agreed to form a team of senior military officials to study the different aspects of the proposed joint force, including operation mechanisms and funding.
When they approved the force formation previously, Arab leaders said it would be tasked with protecting Arab security and fighting terrorism.
