Leaders from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and the Gulf Co-operation Council are scheduled to attend an informal meeting of senior European Union figures Cyprus on Friday.
They are expected to exchange views on the aftermath of the wars in Iran and Lebanon, as well as attacks on the wider region, during a working lunch, an EU official said.
"Leaders will come back to the situation in the region, certainly with a particular focus as well on the situation in Lebanon," they said.
Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun, Syria's President, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein and GCC Secretary General Jasem Al Budaiwi have confirmed they will attend.
Migration fears
Expected to feature high on the agenda is containing a potential rise in arrivals of migrants from the region, particularly from Lebanon and Syria, into Europe. The recent wave of Israeli bombing on Lebanon has alarmed European leaders. A fragile truce is set to expire Sunday.
After their latest meeting in Brussels on March 19, EU leaders stated in shared conclusions that “on the basis of the lessons learnt from the 2015 migration crisis and to avoid a similar situation, the EU is ready to fully mobilise its diplomatic, legal, operational and financial tools to prevent uncontrolled migratory movements to the EU and preserve security in Europe”.
Cyprus, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency and lies just over 320 kilometres from Israeli shores, was rumoured to be under consideration as a location for the next round of peace talks between Lebanon and Israel. However, it appears Washington is more likely to continue as host.
Cyprus has been pushing for closer relations with the Middle East. The attendance of Arab leaders at Friday's meeting offers a “very good opportunity … to give substance” to that objective, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides told the Associated Press in an interview on Wednesday.
He said he expected leaders to discuss article 42.7 of the bloc’s treaties, which obliges all 27 EU member states to assist each other in times of crisis and is frequently compared to Nato's Article 5. A handful of European nations, including Greece, Italy and France, sent ships to help protect Cyprus after an Iran-made drone launched from Lebanon struck a British military base on the island early last month.
“It's precisely because there may be different expectations or ideas among member states that it is important also for leaders to understand and to get this common understanding of what of the type of work that is being done on the operationalisation of article 42.7,” the EU official said.
Stronger ties
European leaders have been in close contact with Arab counterparts since the start of the war. On March 9, the EU's Council President Antonio Costa and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a phone call with leaders from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Armenia, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman.
Officials say that the latest Iran war has brought Europe and the GCC closer, with several statements of solidarity from the European Union, and some states like France and Italy sending air defence missiles and jets to help defend Gulf states from Iranian attacks.
On Tuesday, the EU's foreign affairs and security policy chief Kaja Kallas announced that the bloc would work with Gulf partners to restrict Russian technology upgrades in Iranian drones used against its neighbours.
“We are engaging closely with Gulf partners to limit this, including through possible co-operation on sanctions,” she said. “We also want to deepen our co-operation with the Gulf regarding security and defence.”
The GCC has in turn been pushing to strengthen ties with the EU. Speaking to the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee last week in Brussels, Mr Al Budaiwi said it was “no longer a political option, but a strategic necessity driven by the nature of our shared challenges”.
Ms Kallas also said the European Commission had proposed a full resumption of relations with Syria. The bloc had cut diplomatic ties with the Assad regime, toppled 16 months ago after 14 years of civil war.
“This is an important political signal ahead of the upcoming EU-Syria High Level Political Dialogue that will be held on May 11, 2026,” the Commission said.
During a trip to Damascus in January, Mr Costa and Ms von der Leyen offered €620 million ($722 million) in aid to Syria over the next two years. They also travelled to Beirut, where they met Mr Aoun and signalled support for the state's efforts to disarm Hezbollah.
Israel says Lebanon's efforts are insufficient and is preparing to create a buffer zone about 10km inside Lebanese territory.
