King, Sisi, Iraq PM stress importance of geographical connectivity

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi agreed on Sunday, during a trilateral summit in Cairo, to advance economic, trade and investment cooperation.

The summit — which opened with a trilateral meeting followed by an expanded one attended by senior officials from Jordan, Egypt and Iraq — covered the importance of capitalising on the potential of the three countries’ geographical connectivity and their joint strategic and economic interests, a Royal Court statement said.

King Abdullah said the meeting is an important opportunity to build on the distinguished ties between the three countries to enhance economic, trade and investment cooperation, and increase coordination.

The three countries, in a joint communiqué issued after the summit, affirmed their commitment to maintaining strategic cooperation and coordination with Arab countries to restore regional stability and reach solutions to crises, foremost of which is the Palestinian cause; the Arabs’ central cause.

The communiqué noted the importance of supporting the Palestinian people in securing all their legitimate rights, including the right to an independent state on their national soil with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with international laws and relevant UN resolutions.

The three counties expressed hope that the upcoming Arab summit in Tunisia will lead to restoring Arab solidarity and bolstering joint action within the framework of the Arab League, according to the statement.

Jordan, Egypt and Iraq agreed to hold regular trilateral meetings to coordinate their positions and policies in the best interests of their peoples and in the pursuit of economic prosperity, while cooperating with fraternal and friendly states and building balanced international relations.

Ahead of the summit, His Majesty and Sisi held talks focused on the strong, fraternal ties between the two countries, and the latest developments in the region.

At the talks held in Al Ittihadiya Palace, the two leaders highlighted the advanced level of Jordanian-Egyptian ties, the statement added.

Discussions also covered the means to bolster economic and investment cooperation, as well as to maintain coordination on various issues.

His Majesty and Sisi affirmed the importance of supporting joint Arab action and unifying positions on challenges facing the Arab world.

Discussing the Palestinian cause, the King and the Egyptian president stressed the need for stepping up efforts to support the Palestinian people’s efforts in the pursuit of their legitimate rights to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative.

The King, who returned to Jordan later in the day, called for ending Israeli escalations in Jerusalem and violations of Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, according to the statement.

Moreover, talks covered developments connected to the Syrian crisis and the importance of reaching a political solution that preserves the territorial integrity of Syria and the unity of its people.

Discussions also touched on the means to reach political solutions to a number of regional crises, in addition to regional and international efforts to counter terrorism within a holistic approach.