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Sisi’s visit to Jordan

Jan 15,2019 - Last updated at Jan 15,2019

The visit of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi to Jordan for talks with His Majesty King Abdullah in Amman on Sunday may have been short in duration but it was certainly long in its significance and implications.

It so happens that the two leaders see eye-to-eye on many regional and bilateral issues, and the talks between them have succeeded in cementing these existing agreements by extending further support to them. As can be expected, the King discussed with the Egyptian president, inter alia, economic, trade, investment, energy, transportation and labour issues, and what emerged was a considerable meeting of the minds between them on these and other policy issues. 

Of particular significance to Jordan is the agreement to resume the Egyptian natural gas supply to Jordan, which aims to address the Kingdom’s acute energy problem. It was, after all, the interruption of the Egyptian natural gas supply a few years ago that set in motion a very difficult energy crisis and contributed to the rapid rise in energy cost for the country and its people.

Not less important was the agreement between the King and President Sisi on the parameters for the resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution, with East Jerusalem serving as the capital of the projected Palestinian state. The two-state solution has been Jordan's long standing policy for the settlement of the Palestinian crisis, once and for all. Cairo enjoys considerable leverage with Tel Aviv, and its endorsement of this two-state solution can go a long way to implementing it. 

On the broader regional front, the two leaders discussed the continuing flashpoints in the region and how best to solve them. This common regional perspective will no doubt help put an end to the armed and political conflicts inundating the Middle East for a number of years, already with no end in sight, as far as one can see.

Now that the two leaders succeeded in forging a common stand on bilateral and regional issues, they must endeavour to meet more often to help stabilise the area.

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