Rome: His Majesty King Abdullah II and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni jointly led a new round of Aqaba Process meetings held in Rome on Wednesday, a collaborative effort between Jordan and Italy.
According to Jordan News Agency, the second round of the Aqaba Process was centered on West Africa, exploring strategies to heighten efforts and foster international coordination to combat terrorism and extremist ideologies. The discussions emphasized the foremost security challenges and developments impacting the region.
The meeting sessions were attended by His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, who serves as His Majesty’s chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs and personal envoy. The discussions delved into opportunities for enhancing global mechanisms to counter terrorism through expertise exchange and the implementation of collaborative initiatives.
The event saw participation from heads of state, government officials, and representatives from security and military institutions of countries including Algeria, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Paraguay, Chad, Togo, Uzbekistan, C´te d’Ivoire, Kazakhstan, Senegal, Ghana, Germany, Portugal, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Norway, Spain, the United States, Denmark, and the Dominican Republic. Organizations such as the African Union, the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law, the Global Counterterrorism Forum, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, NATO, the European Union, and Interpol were also represented.
On the sidelines of the Aqaba Process meetings, King Abdullah II held bilateral discussions with leaders such as Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Wonie Bio, Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Paraguay’s President Santiago Pe?a Palacios, Togo’s Prime Minister Faure Gnassingb©, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev, and Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov.
Initiated by King Abdullah II a decade ago, the Aqaba Process has facilitated rounds of meetings in Jordan and other countries and organizations partnering with Jordan, including Spain, Albania, the United Nations, Indonesia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Rwanda, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Norway, Nigeria, the Netherlands, and the United States. The initiative’s objective is to bolster security and military coordination, cooperation, and expertise exchange among regional and international entities in combating terrorism and extremism.
Previous Aqaba Process meetings have focused on regions such as East Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, West Africa, and the Sahel.