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AMMAN — Royal Jordanian Airlines announced on Thursday the resumption of its flights to Beirut starting next Sunday, with two daily flights scheduled

In a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, the national carrier said that the return of flights to Beirut comes following approval by the Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission.

The development coincides with a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon's Hizbollah, which has been reportedly holding since Wednesday. 

Residents in the border regions have begun returning to their homes, following the announcement of the ceasefire, AFP reported. 

- Trilateral summit focuses on ways to strengthen cooperation between three countries across various fields

- King, Cypriot president, Greek PM witness signing of three memorandums of understanding on investment, water, education

- Summit stresses need to step up efforts to reach ceasefire in Gaza, protect civilians, increase humanitarian response 

- His Majesty urges continued efforts to ensure success of ceasefire in Lebanon, reaffirms Jordan's support for Lebanon

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis held a Trilateral Summit on Wednesday in Nicosia.

The summit, convening for the fourth time, focused on ways to strengthen cooperation between the three countries across various fields, as well as the latest developments in the region, according to a Royal Court statement. 

During the summit, His Majesty expressed Jordan's keenness to strengthen joint action with Cyprus and Greece.

The summit covered the importance of capitalising on regional cooperation opportunities, especially in the fields of energy, trade, and tourism.

In addition, the summit covered the importance of focusing on economic cooperation between the three countries, and enhancing cooperation in addressing the effects of climate change, including natural disasters, drought, desertification, and forest fires, the statement said. 

The King, the Cypriot president and the Greek prime minister witnessed the signing of three memorandums of understanding on investment, the management of water resources, and cooperation in education.

They also noted the importance of signing the MoUs in raising the level of cooperation between the three countries and building on the outcomes of previous trilateral summits.

 His Majesty said Jordan looks forward to hosting the upcoming Jordanian-Cypriot-Greek trilateral summit, stressing the importance of the partnership between Jordan and the European Union and the need to maintain Arab-European coordination on issues of shared concern, according to the statement.  

The trilateral cooperation between Jordan, Cyprus and Greece began in 2018 in order to expand opportunities for economic cooperation and build on the strong ties between the three countries. 

Discussing regional developments, the King, the Cypriot president, and the Greek prime minister stressed the need to step up efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, protect civilians, and increase the humanitarian response in the Strip. 

They also warned of extremist settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, stressing the need to create a political horizon to achieve just and comprehensive peace, on the basis of the two-state solution. 

His Majesty stressed the need to maintain efforts to ensure the success of the ceasefire in Lebanon, reaffirming Jordan's support for Lebanon, its security, stability, sovereignty, and the safety of its citizens.

Discussions at the Trilateral Summit also covered the Syrian refugee crisis, and the need for the international community to shoulder its responsibilities towards Syrian refugees and their host countries.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Director of the Office of His Majesty Alaa Batayneh, General Intelligence Department Director Maj. Gen. Ahmad Husni, and Jordan’s Ambassador to Cyprus Basheer Zoubi attended the summit.

The King returned to Jordan later on Wednesday after a visit to Egypt and Cyprus, another Royal Court statement said. 

AMMAN — Community radio stations play a crucial role in addressing local issues and showcasing success stories, Minister of Government Communication and official spokesperson Mohammed Momani said on Wednesday.

In a meeting with representatives from community radio stations at the Ministry of Government Communication on Wednesday, Momani commended their contributions to local development and their function as platforms for public engagement, The Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The meeting is part of the ministry's ongoing efforts to cooperate with the Kingdom's media landscape to overcome challenges and foster greater professionalism within the sector.

Momani reiterated the government's commitment to bolstering the national media sector and developing a strategic vision for its future. He stressed the importance of defining clear roles for various media platforms, including broadcast, print, and digital, to effectively communicate national narratives and address key challenges.

"Community radio stations are an indispensable part of our media ecosystem," Momani said, highlighting their ability to amplify local voices, raise public awareness, and share inspiring stories of innovation and progress.

He also reiterated the government's commitment to respecting media independence, stressing that access to information and factual reporting are essential for effective communication.

The minister also highlighted the government's continued efforts to support these values, including strengthening the role of spokespersons in all ministries and public institutions and holding regular press briefings following cabinet meetings.

Participants at the meeting called for updated legislation to better support community radio operations and suggested allowing stations to generate limited advertising revenue to cover operating costs. 

They also proposed the creation of specialised programming, encouraged content sharing among community stations, and called for enhanced cooperation with government spokespersons to improve access to information.

AMMAN — Medical staff at the Jordanian Field Hospital in Khan Younis successfully saved the lives of two young patients in recent days following complex surgical procedures.

Hassan Shdeifat, a neurosurgeon at the hospital, said that a young girl was admitted to the emergency department on Tuesday with a severe brain haemorrhage and a depressed skull fracture resulting from the Israeli bombing in Gaza. 

Despite the challenges posed by the ongoing aggression, Shdeifat and his team performed a delicate brain surgery that ultimately saved her life, the Jordan News Agency Petra, reported. 

In another case, a young man was rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the head. 

The bullet had lodged in his brain, causing a subdural hematoma and displacement of brain tissue. 

He arrived unconscious with critical vital signs. 

The medical team acted swiftly, performing an urgent surgery that stabilized his condition and saved his life. 

Although the bullet remained lodged at the base of his skull, the team successfully controlled the bleeding and repaired the damaged tissue.

Shdeifat expressed deep gratitude to His Majesty King Abdullah for his continuous support and directives to aid Gaza. 

He also extended thanks to his colleagues in the Jordanian Royal Medical Services for their unwavering dedication in fulfilling their humanitarian mission under these difficult circumstances.

Jordan runs two military field hospitals in Gaza, one in the strip’s north, which was established in 2009 following the Hamas-Israel war in 2008.

The second was established in Khan Younis in the south in November 2023 at the peak of the Israeli aggression on the coastal enclave that erupted on October 7.

Besides the field hospitals in Gaza, the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army established the Jordanian field hospital in Nablus in late November 2023 and has conducted over 900 surgeries and received more than 83,000 patients ever since.

The Kingdom has also established two health centres in Ramallah and Jenin, serving tens of thousands of patients in the West Bank.

AMMAN — The Swedish Dialogue Institute for the Middle East and North Africa on Wednesday concluded its third annual conference entitled "Investing in Dialogues for Peace and Sustainable Development in the MENA Region".

The conference brought together over 100 participants from the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe including Sweden to foster cross-sectoral collaboration and exchange, with a variety of experts in women and youth peace and security, entrepreneurs, climate activists, and practitioners of intercultural and interreligious dialogue.

During the event, participants took part in speeches, panel discussions, and interactive sessions into key themes such as peace and security, intercultural dialogue and the green transition.

"Dialogue is the oxygen of civilisation. Without it, we suffocate in our own narrowness," Director of the Swedish Dialogue Institute Ann Mawe quoted Egyptian writer and Nobel Laureate Naguib Mahfouz during her opening remarks. 

She emphasised the urgent need for inclusive and genuine dialogue to address conflicts and foster understanding across differing perspectives.

On peace and security, it was acknowledged that women and children are among the "most severely affected" by ongoing conflicts and humanitarians crisis, yet they remain conspicuously excluded from formal conflict resolution and peace building efforts. 

This statement set the stage for discussions focusing on the critical agendas of youth, peace and security and women, peace and security, emphasising the need to integrate women and youth into peace processes, creating inclusive pathways to peace and security at all levels. 

In the interactive sessions, participants addressed how terminologies and policies which are brought from other cultures can limit the advocacy work and causes in general, as well as the importance of using the feminist terminologies. 

With participants representing both the MENA region and Europe, the conference highlighted the importance of cross-regional cooperation and open intercultural dialogue. 

These interactions foster a deeper understanding of each region's perspectives, enabling participants to build on mutual learning, strengths, share experiences, and address common concerns.

Such dialogue not only promotes empathy and trust but also serves as a critical tool for bridging divides and overcoming trust gaps often rooted in misunderstanding and misinformation.

The discussions also emphasised the pressing need to discuss climate change with a sense of importance, recognising its far-reaching implications for the stability and well-being of communities in the MENA region and beyond.

The green transition to renewable energy and the adoption of sustainable solutions were identified as key pathways for fostering regional development. Such partnerships could accelerate the shift to sustainable energy systems while fostering innovation ecosystems.

AMMAN — Jordan on Wednesday welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire in Lebanon, brokered through American-French mediation. 

The Foreign Ministry described the development as a significant step that must be followed by intensified international efforts to stop the aggression on Gaza and end ongoing Israeli violations in the occupied West Bank, according to a ministry statement.

Ministry spokesperson Sufian Qudah reiterated Jordan's steadfast support for Lebanon's security, stability, and sovereignty, as well as the safety of its citizens. 

He also stressed the importance of fully implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and bolstering Lebanese national institutions. 

Qudah also underlined the importance rebuilding war-damaged areas in Lebanon and providing essential economic aid to support its recovery.

He also stressed the urgent need to end the Israeli aggression as a critical measure to de-escalate tensions, warning that continued violence threatens international peace and security. 

He also called for sustained and sufficient humanitarian aid delivery across Gaza to alleviate the worsening crisis and meet the population’s needs.

AMMAN — The government has announced plans to implement 204 recommendations from the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on human rights recently accepted by the Kingdom. 

All ministries and government institutions have been instructed to execute these commitments as part of Jordan's broader efforts to strengthen its human rights framework, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Director of the Prime Ministry's Human Rights Department, Khalil Abdallat on Wednesday reiterated the Kingdom's dedication to the process, stressing that the recommendations were meticulously reviewed by Jordan's official delegation to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

He also said that the government has developed a five-year action plan with clear, measurable objectives and a defined timeline to ensure tangible progress. 

“Jordan remains committed to the promotion of human rights at all levels,” Abdallat said, highlighting the UPR as a platform for fostering partnerships and cooperation with stakeholders nationally, regionally, and internationally.

Abdallat also noted significant progress in participation during the fourth UPR session, describing it as a milestone for Jordan. 

The session saw 36 individual submissions—21 from Jordanian institutions and 15 from international organisations—up from 21 in 2018 and just six in 2013. 

Group submissions also surged to 27, representing alliances and joint initiatives from over 159 organisations, compared with 13 in 2018 and four in 2013, attributing the increase to the growing role of civil society and the government’s efforts to adopt a more inclusive approach to human rights.

Abdallat also said Jordan’s commitment to political, economic, and public sector reforms forms the cornerstone of a holistic framework for progress. 

"The adopted UPR recommendations are closely aligned with these reforms and target key areas, including women’s rights, children’s rights, youth empowerment, and the rights of persons with disabilities." 

The recommendations also underscore economic empowerment, environmental protection, and improved access to education, healthcare, and employment, he said, adding that  the government is preparing a national implementation matrix to coordinate efforts among relevant institutions to streamline the implementation process.

Abdallat also underscored the importance of cooperation with parliament, international organisations, and the private sector to achieve these goals.