Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met King Abdullah II of Jordan on Thursday as the two held a "closed session" in which they discussed concerted efforts in the "fight against terrorism", a presidential statement said on Thursday. The statement added that military and security cooperation between the two states has been "deepening" and that both will be developing a "common framework" from which to address regional challenges. The two also discussed the importance of "supporting Libya's institutions and its national army". On 3 February, the self-proclaimed "Islamic State" (IS) killed Jordanian pilot Muath Al-Kasasbeh. On 14 February, the Libyan parliament confirmed the execution of 20 Egyptians at the hands of IS. Egypt later initiated airstrikes, allegedly against IS, in Libya. Jordan and Egypt are both part of a US led coalition against IS. Among other issues said to be raised in the meeting were the crises in Syria, Iraq, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The two leaders also discussed the responsibility of state institutions such as Al-Azhar to "correct the image of Islam" in the face of extremist organisations.
