Italian President Giorgio Napolitano on Monday called on the Arab League for ''greater internal cohesion'' so that it might play a peaceful role in bringing about ''a just and satisfactory solution for all sides'' to conflict in the Middle East.
''The world needs a greater contribution from the Arab and African countries for a solution to the problems in those areas,'' said Napolitano, addressing representatives from the League's 22 member states at its general council in Cairo.
Napolitano also said he hoped the League would be an active partner with the newly created Union for the Mediterranean, which unites EU states with other countries on the Mediterranean's north African and Middle Eastern shores.
The Union, formed in July under the lead of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, aims to improve energy supplies, boost maritime surveillance, fight terrorism and create a shared scientific community among the regions.
