Amman, December 16 (Petra) – Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament Ahmed Safadi hosted Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud Mashhadani on Monday in the latter's first official foreign visit since assuming office.

Safadi and Mashhadani underscored the importance of strengthening and aligning joint parliamentary stances to address shared interests and serve the two nations' peoples.

The meeting highlighted the outcomes of a recent summit in Amman between His Majesty King Abdullah II and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani, which emphasized the need for heightened cooperation between Jordan and Iraq in addressing regional challenges and preventing instability and chaos.

Safadi and Mashhadani expressed their solidarity in supporting Syria's security and sovereignty, advocating for the Syrian people's will, and calling for an immediate cessation of the aggression on Gaza. They further emphasized the necessity of escalating relief aid to the Gaza Strip.

The discussions also focused on enhancing bilateral relations across various domains, including energy, transportation, education, agriculture, tourism, and infrastructure. Both parties stressed the need to advance economic cooperation and capitalize on mutual investment opportunities, including trilateral efforts involving Egypt.

In a press briefing following the talks, Safadi stressed that the parliaments of both nations bear significant responsibility for overcoming hurdles to economic cooperation. He reiterated Jordan’s stance, as expressed by His Majesty King Abdullah II, in supporting Syria’s stability and condemning extremist settlers’ actions in the West Bank. Safadi also emphasized the need to halt violations of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

Mashhadani expressed Iraq's deep appreciation for Jordan's steadfast support under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II. He called for stronger collaboration between Jordanian and Iraqi parliamentary committees and reaffirmed Iraq’s commitment to standing with the Arab nation in addressing challenges, particularly those faced by the Palestinian people.

He highlighted Jordan's consistent role in supporting Iraq through crises, describing the relationship as one of "depth and common interests."

Mashhadani concluded by advocating for continued coordination to enhance the partnership between the two countries.

//Petra// AJ

16/12/2024 15:10:18