King-Sisi summit addresses ties, regional developments

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi held a summit meeting at Raghadan Palace on Thursday, during which they addressed means to boost ties between Jordan and Egypt as well as the latest regional developments.

During a one-on-one meeting, followed by a broader one attended by senior officials from both sides, the King welcomed Sisi’s visit to the Kingdom, highlighting its significance in terms of boosting the brotherly and historic Jordanian-Egyptian ties and strengthening strategic cooperation between the two countries, a Royal Court statement said.   

The two sides asserted their mutual commitment to developing bilateral ties and maintaining coordination and consultations vis-à-vis various issues, in a manner that helps them realise the aspirations of the Jordanian and Egyptian peoples, particularly at the political and economic levels. 

The King renewed Jordan’s full support for Egypt and its pivotal role at the Arab and regional levels, serving the best interests of the Arab nation in a manner that boosts joint Arab action. 

Sisi expressed his country’s appreciation of His Majesty’s stand in support of Egypt, as demonstrated during his recent visit to Washington and meetings with US President Barack Obama, senior officials and lawmakers, the Royal Court said. 

The Egyptian president was quoted as saying that Jordan’s “honorable” stand in support of his country reflects a historical trend by the Kingdom and its leadership, “representing a role model of relations between Arab countries, which should join ranks to address the various challenges they face”.

King Abdullah and Sisi reviewed the latest regional and international relations and how to tune their positions to respond to them in a manner that safeguards the security and the stability of the region, especially in the aftermath of the King’s Washington visit. 

Regarding efforts to combat terrorism, the two leaders stressed that the various parties involved in combating terrorism should adopt a “holistic, strategic and collaborative approach”. 

The two sides agreed on the importance of working to clarify the true image of Islam, its teachings which promote tolerance and  reject violence and radicalism, and call for moderation and accepting the other. They highlighted the role Al Azhar Al Sharif, the top Sunni authority, can play in this regard and the need to support it to be able to carry out this mission. 

With regard to the Middle East peace process, the King and Sisi called on all influential international parties to provide a conducive environment for the relaunch of peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis and to eliminate all obstacles that preclude the resumption of talks, which should be held on the basis of the two-state solution, relevant international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

Regarding the situation in Jerusalem, the two leaders warned against the danger of attempts to alter the status quo of the city, especially regarding Al Harm Al Sharif and Al Aqsa Mosque. 

In this context, King Abdullah asserted that Jordan will continue to exert all efforts in defence of Jerusalem and the holy sites there, in accordance with the Hashemite custodianship of these shrines. 

Furthermore, talks underscored the importance of arriving at a political solution to the crisis in Syria that would end the suffering of the Syrian people and safeguard the unity of Syria. 

For his part, Sisi expressed Egypt’s appreciation of the Kingdom’s role in hosting Syrian refugees and helping to provide them with their needs. 

Moreover, King Abdullah and the Egyptian president discussed developments in Iraq, stressing the need to boost national reconciliation among the various components of the Iraqi people and the need to support the Iraqi government in its efforts to combat terrorist organisations. 

Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh as well as several other senior Jordanian and Egyptian officials were present at the meeting. 

The Egyptian president and the accompanying delegation left Jordan later in the day and were seen off by King Abdullah.