EU and Arab League call for Assad exit strategy in Cairo

Araby: It is time for Assad’s departure European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and Arab League Secretary-General Nabil El-Araby called for preparations for the departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, during bilateral talks in Cairo on Monday."It is time for the departure of Bashar al-Assad and to stop the massacres that have killed more than 60,000 people, according to international reports,” Van Rompuy said in a press statement, calling on a "Syrian coalition of opposition forces" to reach a “political solution to the crisis” alongside the UN's special envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi. “The European Union recognises the Syrian National Coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people,” he added.
The two men also discussed a conclusion to the Arab-Israeli conflict, highlighting a need for "concerted and coordinated actions by all key actors to end the conflict.”
“The meeting with the President of the EU’s European Council addressed developments in Palestine,” Araby announced in a statement, reportedly discussing potential support for the Palestinian Authority and Israel’s ultimate withdrawal from the Palestinian Territories according to 1967 borders.
“The goal after all these years is to completely end the Israeli occupation, not through interim agreements and invalid talks that only give Israel more time and opportunity to expand settlements,” the Arab League leader said.
Van Rompuy meanwhile revealed that the Cairo talks stressed the need for Israelis and Palestinians to both take “bold steps” towards peace in the Middle East.
"It is key to relaunch direct and substantial negotiations, without preconditions,” he said. “The aim should be a lasting solution.”
Araby has called for continued cooperation between the EU and Arab League, the same week that Van Rompuy met with Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi.