President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi and King Abdullah II of Jordan met on 21 February to discuss bilateral relations and diverse political, economic and social issues for what was described as the welfare of the people of the two nations. The Palestinian cause was among the main topics under discussion. The presidency issued a statement on 19 February regarding the Palestinian conflict stating that Egypt is sparing no effort to reach a just and permanent solution to the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution and the Palestinian right to establish an independent state along the 4 June 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, without any political outbidding. At the meeting at the presidential palace, Al-Sisi said Egypt believed the Palestinian issue “was and will always remain the fundamental issue in the Middle East and that reaching a final solution to it will create a new reality which will provide peace and security for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples. “This reality will also give hope for all peoples of the region to realise economic and social development, in addition to eliminating a key pretext used by terrorist and extremist organisations to justify their deeds,” Al-Sisi said. Among other topics discussed by the two leaders was the situation in Syria and possible means of ending the war. Both parties agreed on the importance of a ceasefire and preserving the political path led by the UN. “It is essential to end the suffering of the Syrian people as well as maintain the unity of its land and ending terrorism prevailing there,” Al-Sisi said. The leaders discussed means of cooperation between the two countries to combat terrorism. President Al-Sisi and King Abdullah announced their support for the ongoing operation in Iraq to liberate it from Islamic State control. It is essential, as agreed by both parties, for stability to prevail in Iraq. “Efforts for reconciliation and settlement should be supported by all parties all over the Arab world for the welfare of the Iraqi people,” King Abdullah said. During the one-day visit, Al-Sisi and Abdullah also discussed preparations for the upcoming Arab summit which Jordan will host at the end of March. Al-Sisi was officially invited last month by King Abdullah to attend the summit. Al-Sisi expressed his willingness to participate. “I hope the summit would come out with decisions that meet the challenges facing the Arab region,” said Al-Sisi, adding Egypt would coordinate with Jordan to reach that particular goal. The summit's 28th session will be the second such summit attended by Al-Sisi since he came to office in 2014. The Egyptian president was represented by Prime Minister Sherif Ismail at the Arab League's 27th session in Mauritania in March 2016 which hosted a limited number of Arab leaders. Egypt hosted the Arab League's 2015 summit in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh where Al-Sisi proposed the creation of a joint Arab military force. The king's last official visit to Egypt was in August 2016. Presidential spokesman Alaa Youssef said both parties expressed their contentment regarding the strategic relationship between the two countries which he said was witnessing positive developments in several fields. “Both parties stressed the importance of unifying global efforts to combat terrorism within a comprehensive strategic plan which should not depend on only a military solution but on cultural, intellectual and economic means,” Youssef said. Regarding Libya, Al-Sisi discussed Egyptian efforts aimed at uniting Libya, and possible means of preserving Libya's unity and stability while respecting the will of Libyans. “It is essential to reach a Libyan solution which supports Libyan national institutions without any foreign interference,” added Youssef. At the end of the meeting the president invited King Abdullah and his accompanying delegation for lunch, then escorted him to the airport. “President Al-Sisi was present at the airport when King Abdullah flew back to Jordan,” Youssef said.
