King, Spain monarch co-chair new round of Aqaba Process meetings in Córdoba

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah and King Felipe VI of Spain on Tuesday co-chaired a new round of Aqaba Process meetings in Córdoba, organised in partnership with Spain.

As the second High-Level Aqaba Process meeting to convene with a focus on West Africa and the Sahel, this round covered the latest developments in that region, and included an assessment of the threats of terrorism and extremism, according to a statement from the Royal Court.

Discussions covered current efforts to counter terrorism and means of enhancing coordination and networking among various initiatives in West Africa to fight terrorist groups on the ground, in addition to online by countering hate speech on social media.

Speakers also reiterated the need to cooperate, exchange expertise, and expand the circle of partnerships to include more countries and relevant international organisations within the Aqaba Process.

This round of meetings saw the participation of heads of state, officials, and representatives of security and military institutions from Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Morocco, Rwanda, Niger, Gabon, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, Nigeria, Benin, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Portugal, the United States, Switzerland, Norway, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, as well as representatives of the African Union, the European Union, NATO, the United Nations and the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism.

On the sidelines of the meetings, King Abdullah met separately with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo, Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and Commander of US African Command Gen. Michael E. Langley.

A number of Aqaba Process meetings have been held outside Jordan over the past years — in Indonesia, Albania, The Netherlands, Nigeria, the United States, the United Nations and Singapore, in partnership with Jordan.

Previous region-focused Aqaba Process rounds have included meetings on East Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Balkans.

The Aqaba Process initiative was launched by His Majesty King Abdullah II in 2015 to enhance coordination and exchange of expertise and information among regional and international stakeholders to counter terrorism and extremism.