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Jordan, Lebanon Call for Sustaining Ceasefire in Syria | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Jordanian King Abdullah II and Lebanese President Michel Aoun during a summit held in Amman on Tuesday (Petra News)


Amman – Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Lebanese President Michel Aoun reiterated their support for sustaining ceasefire in Syria during a summit held on Tuesday in Amman.

Aoun arrived in Jordanian capital Amman on Tuesday for his first visit to the Hashemite Kingdom since assuming the presidency last October.

He was received by Jordan’s King at an official reception ceremony attended by high-ranking Jordanian government and military officials.

The top officials discussed, during their meeting at Basman Palace, Jordanian-Lebanese ties as well as regional developments, including the Syrian crisis and its impact on the two countries.

King Abdullah stressed the “deep, historic” ties between Lebanon and Jordan, voicing the need to build more “bridges of cooperation”.

Commenting on the situation in Syria, the two officials emphasized the need to build on recent international efforts within the Astana meetings to strengthen Syria’s ceasefire towards finding a political solution to the war-torn country.

A key focus of the talks was the burdens of the Syrian refugee influx on Jordan and Lebanon – where the leaders agreed on the need to forge a unified stance on the crisis – which had security, economic and social ramifications on countries neighboring Syria.

Back to bilateral relations, King Abdullah and Aoun agreed to convene a Jordanian-Lebanese business forum, activate a maritime route between Lebanese ports and the Port of Aqaba, and forge economic integration in financial, technological, industrial, tourism and agricultural fields, Petra News Agency reported.

The officials also discussed security and civil defense cooperation as well as raising the capabilities of the Lebanese Army.

They also stressed the need to bolster regional and global efforts to fight terrorism.

The Lebanese president said his country highly valued Jordan’s support to Lebanon’s national unity and stability.

He urged the world community to deliver on aid pledges to help Jordan and Lebanon bear the burden of hosting Syrian refugees and continue to provide them with humanitarian and relief assistance.