Jordan’s King Abdullah Stresses Importance of Preserving Iraq’s Unity

King Abdullah meets with the Iraqi parliament speaker in Amman. (AFP)
King Abdullah meets with the Iraqi parliament speaker in Amman. (AFP)
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Jordan’s King Abdullah Stresses Importance of Preserving Iraq’s Unity

King Abdullah meets with the Iraqi parliament speaker in Amman. (AFP)
King Abdullah meets with the Iraqi parliament speaker in Amman. (AFP)

Jordanian King Abdullah II reiterated the kingdom’s steadfast support for Iraq and its people, security and stability.

King Abdullah on Monday received Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi at the Basman Palace in Amman.

They discussed means of enhancing the deep-rooted ties between the two countries on all levels.

The meeting covered the outcomes of the recent Jordanian-Iraqi-Egyptian summit held in Baghdad and means of translating them on the ground.

It further discussed the latest regional developments, especially the Iraqi government’s efforts in countering terrorism.

The speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, Abdel Moneim Al-Awdat and his Iraqi counterpart said Monday that Jordan and Iraq need to build on the outcomes of the tripartite summit to further cement cooperation towards achieving strategic integration among the three brotherly countries.

King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi met in Baghdad in June for a summit that focused on boosting security and economic ties between their countries.

Awdat said Jordan supports efforts to bolster Iraq’s stability, adding that the summit sets a new phase in joint cooperation to guarantee the security and stability of their countries and draw a road map for joint investment projects that meet the aspirations of their people.



Lebanon Elects Army Chief as New President

The Lebanese Parliament building a day before a session to elect the Lebanese president, in Beirut, Lebanon, 08 January 2025. (EPA)
The Lebanese Parliament building a day before a session to elect the Lebanese president, in Beirut, Lebanon, 08 January 2025. (EPA)
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Lebanon Elects Army Chief as New President

The Lebanese Parliament building a day before a session to elect the Lebanese president, in Beirut, Lebanon, 08 January 2025. (EPA)
The Lebanese Parliament building a day before a session to elect the Lebanese president, in Beirut, Lebanon, 08 January 2025. (EPA)

Lebanon's parliament elected army chief Joseph Aoun head of state on Thursday, filling the vacant presidency with a general who enjoys US approval and showing the diminished sway of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group after its devastating war with Israel.
The outcome reflected shifts in the power balance in Lebanon and the wider Middle East, with Hezbollah badly pummelled from last year's war, and its Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad toppled in December.
The presidency, reserved for a Maronite Christian in Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system, has been vacant since Michel Aoun's term ended in October 2022, with deeply divided factions unable to agree on a candidate able to win enough votes in the 128-seat parliament.
Aoun fell short of the 86 votes needed in a first round vote, but crossed the threshold with 99 votes in a second round, according to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, after lawmakers from Hezbollah and its Shiite ally the Amal Movement backed him.
Momentum built behind Aoun on Wednesday as Hezbollah's long preferred candidate, Suleiman Franjieh, withdrew and declared support for the army commander, and as French envoy shuttled around Beirut, urging his election in meetings with politicians, three Lebanese political sources said.
Aoun's election is a first step towards reviving government institutions in a country which has had neither a head of state nor a fully empowered cabinet since Aoun left office.
Lebanon, its economy still reeling from a devastating financial collapse in 2019, is in dire need of international support to rebuild from the war, which the World Bank estimates cost the country $8.5 billion.
Lebanon's system of government requires the new president to convene consultations with lawmakers to nominate a Sunni Muslim prime minister to form a new cabinet, a process that can often be protracted as factions barter over ministerial portfolios.
Aoun has a key role in shoring up a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel which was brokered by Washington and Paris in November. The terms require the Lebanese military to deploy into south Lebanon as Israeli troops and Hezbollah withdraw forces.
Aoun, 60, has been commander of the Lebanese army since 2017.