Egypt, Jordan, Iraq Coordinate Efforts to Confront Regional Crises


Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, and Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, during a press conference (Reuters)
Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, and Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, during a press conference (Reuters)
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Egypt, Jordan, Iraq Coordinate Efforts to Confront Regional Crises


Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, and Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, during a press conference (Reuters)
Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, and Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, during a press conference (Reuters)

Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq have agreed to coordinate efforts and continue consultations to resolve regional crises and serve Arab causes and interests.

The three countries' foreign ministers held a meeting Wednesday, in Amman, as part of the Jordanian-Iraqi-Egyptian trilateral cooperation mechanism to generate closer partnerships.

The mechanism is based on the aspirations of the three nations to increase coordination within the political, economic, commercial, industrial, and security fields, among others.

Egypt's Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, reaffirmed in a joint press conference that solidarity between the three countries achieves regional security and stability, stressing the importance of intensifying collective Arab action.

Shoukry added that the trilateral mechanism aims primarily to boost the ties between the three countries based on integration, economic opportunities, and exchanging visions related to regional issues.

He affirmed the continuation of trilateral talks, noting that the next meeting would be held in Iraq ahead of the summit to be hosted by Egypt next year.

Shoukry noted that the three countries face many challenges given the existing geopolitical climate, economic pressures arising from the Ukrainian crisis, and food security and energy security issues. All issues necessitate further cooperation to address them.

The top official noted that solidarity, cooperation, and joint action would increase the possibility of overcoming these obstacles.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said the mechanism aims to increase cooperation in trade, industry, economy, land transport, electrical interconnection, and energy.

Hussein stated that the meeting discussed various issues, namely the economy, extremism, and terrorism, and the preparations for the Arab-Chinese summit in Riyadh.

He stressed that regional countries face food and energy security challenges, pointing out that Iraq achieved a historic victory over ISIS and began rebuilding.

The foreign minister revealed that the Iraqi government is in talks with other parties to end the interferences, which must be resolved through dialogue.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi reaffirmed Amman’s and Cairo's full solidarity with Iraq and support for its security, stability, and sovereignty.

Safadi affirmed that Egyptian water security is part of the security of Arab states more broadly, noting that Jordan is consistent in its support of Egypt.

The ministers discussed several Arab issues, including the Palestinian cause, stressing the importance of ongoing efforts, coordination, and consultation to resolve regional crises and serve Arab interests to achieve regional security and stability.

They agreed to hold further meetings in preparation for the Egypt-hosted fourth trilateral cooperation mechanism summit next year.

The mechanism for coordination and trilateral cooperation between Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq was launched in Cairo in 2019, and the foreign ministers of the three countries held a series of meetings within the framework of the mechanism, the latest of which was on Nov 2.



WHO Sends Over 1 Mln Polio Vaccines to Gaza to Protect Children 

Displaced Palestinians, who fled their houses due to Israeli strikes, look out from a window as they take shelter, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, July 24, 2024. (Reuters)
Displaced Palestinians, who fled their houses due to Israeli strikes, look out from a window as they take shelter, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, July 24, 2024. (Reuters)
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WHO Sends Over 1 Mln Polio Vaccines to Gaza to Protect Children 

Displaced Palestinians, who fled their houses due to Israeli strikes, look out from a window as they take shelter, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, July 24, 2024. (Reuters)
Displaced Palestinians, who fled their houses due to Israeli strikes, look out from a window as they take shelter, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, July 24, 2024. (Reuters)

The World Health Organization is sending more than one million polio vaccines to Gaza to be administered over the coming weeks to prevent children being infected after the virus was detected in sewage samples, its chief said on Friday.

"While no cases of polio have been recorded yet, without immediate action, it is just a matter of time before it reaches the thousands of children who have been left unprotected," Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in an opinion piece in Britain's The Guardian newspaper.

He wrote that children under five were most at risk from the viral disease, and especially infants under two since normal vaccination campaigns have been disrupted by more than nine months of conflict.

Poliomyelitis, which is spread mainly through the fecal-oral route, is a highly infectious virus that can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis. Cases of polio have declined by 99% worldwide since 1988 thanks to mass vaccination campaigns and efforts continue to eradicate it completely.

Israel's military said on Sunday it would start offering the polio vaccine to soldiers serving in the Gaza Strip after remnants of the virus were found in test samples in the enclave.

Besides polio, the UN reported last week a widespread increase in cases of Hepatitis A, dysentery and gastroenteritis as sanitary conditions deteriorate in Gaza, with sewage spilling into the streets near some camps for displaced people.