In a meeting held in Amman on Monday, the leaders of Egypt and Jordan agreed to push ahead with efforts to revive the negotiation path for the Palestinian issue. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi arrived in the Jordanian capital earlier today upon an invitation from King Abdullah II of Jordan to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues. The two leaders first held one-on-one discussions and then extensive talks in the presence of delegations from both countries, according to a statement by Egyptian presidential spokesperson Bassam Rady. During the meeting, both sides agreed to push forward bilateral consultations and coordination in order to unify Arab and international efforts to revive the international mechanisms of the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, in parallel with the efforts to achieve a national reconciliation between the Palestinian parties. The Egyptian president stressed that Cairo will continue its "tireless" efforts in this issue, given that it is one of the country's fundamental policies, the statement added. "Egypt will push ahead with efforts to ensure that the Palestinian people restore their legitimate rights and establish their independent state as per international legitimacy references," El-Sisi stressed. Also, King Abdullah voiced his appreciation for the "relentless and appreciable" efforts exerted by Egypt to support the Palestinian cause, stabilise the situation in the Gaza strip, and better the humanitarian, living and economic conditions there, as well as to achieve political consensus among all Palestinian factions in order facilitate reconciliation. The visit comes less than a week after Cairo hosted a meeting of Munich's quartet group, which is tasked with supporting the peace process in the Middle East, including the peace process between the Palestinians and Israelis. The group, comprising Egypt, France, Germany, and Jordan's foreign ministers, forged 11 provisions detailed in a joint statement outlining the endeavours to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations stalled for years. The quartet group is due to hold another meeting in Paris to continue consultations regarding ways to boost the peace process. El-Sisi and Abdullah also agreed to reinforce endeavours that aim to mobilise the international community's efforts to reach political settlements to the crises in some of the region's countries, as well as to undermine terrorism, restore security and stability and preserve the territorial integrity of these countries. The statement added that both leaders exchanged views about the Egyptian-Jordanian efforts to strengthen the trilateral cooperation with Iraq, agreeing to intensify coordination to implement development projects and plans between the three countries to achieve the aspirations of the three peoples. In August, El-Sisi attended a tripartite summit in Amman between Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq to discuss partnership prospects between the three countries, as well as regional issues, including the Palestinian cause. Both leaders expressed during Monday's meetings their hopes to strengthen bilateral relations in a way that helps achieve the joint interests of both peoples.
