His Majesty King Abdullah’s talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi on Wednesday covered developments related to the Palestinian issue, as well as means to strengthen bilateral ties.

In bilateral and expanded talks, the two leaders affirmed the strong ties between Jordan and Egypt, stressing their commitment to expanding them in all areas.

The two sides also noted the importance of enhancing economic, commercial, and investment cooperation, particularly after the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding to establish a council for coordinating investment cooperation.

The need to maintain Jordanian-Egyptian consultations and coordination on issues of mutual concern and current regional developments was also underlined.

Talks covered developments in the Palestinian Territories in the aftermath of the US embassy move to Jerusalem and the Israeli aggression against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

King Abdullah and President Sisi stressed the importance of supporting the Palestinians in seeking to fulfil their legitimate national aspirations for independent statehood on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as their capital.

His Majesty noted that protecting the Palestinian people and enabling them to gain their legitimate rights should be a top priority for the international community.

The King also stressed Jordan’s condemnation and rejection of the Israeli violence and escalation in Gaza.

The two leaders underlined that failure to secure a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause will lead to further instability in the region, noting that the subject of Jerusalem must be settled within final status issues on the basis of the two-state solution.

Talks also covered other regional concerns, including the Syrian crisis and the need to reach a political solution, as well as efforts to fight terrorism within a holistic approach.

President Sisi affirmed his keenness to bolster Egypt’s strategic and historical ties with Jordan, adding that his country is committed to coordinating with the Kingdom on various issues of mutual concern.

Prime Minister Hani Mulki, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, General Intelligence Department Director Maj. Gen. Adnan Jundi, Adviser to His Majesty and Director of the Office of His Majesty Manar Dabbas, and Jordan’s Ambassador to Egypt Ali Ayed attended the talks on the Jordanian side.

On the Egyptian side, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces, Minister of Defence and Military Production Gen. Sedky Sobhy, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Head of the Office of the President Maj. Gen. Mustafa Sharif, acting director of the General Intelligence Service Maj. Gen. Abbas Kamel, and Presidency Spokesperson Bassam Rady were in attendance.

President Sisi hosted an iftar banquet in honour of His Majesty and the Jordanian delegation, attended by senior Egyptian officials and officers.