Jordanian, Spanish monarchs co-chair Aqaba Process meetings

Cordoba, June 20 (BNA): Their Majesties King Abdullah and King Philip VI of Spain chaired a new round of Aqaba Process meetings in Cordoba, organized in partnership with Spain.

As the second high-level meeting of the Aqaba Process to be held focusing on West Africa and the Sahel region, this round covered the latest developments in that region, and included an assessment of the threats of terrorism and extremism.

The discussions dealt with current efforts to combat terrorism and ways to enhance coordination and networking between various initiatives in West Africa to combat terrorist groups on the ground, in addition to the Internet by combating hate speech on social media.

The speakers also stressed the need for cooperation, exchange of experiences and expansion of partnerships to include more countries and relevant international organizations in the Aqaba process.

This round of meetings witnessed the participation of heads of state, officials and representatives of security and military institutions from Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Morocco, Rwanda, Niger, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Nigeria, Benin and Australia. and Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Portugal, the United States, Switzerland, Norway, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, as well as representatives from the African Union, the European Union, NATO, the United Nations and the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism.

His Majesty King Abdullah II launched the Aqaba Process initiative in 2015 to enhance coordination and exchange of experiences and information among regional and international stakeholders to combat terrorism and extremism.