The state visit paid, by the sovereign of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, King Abdullah II Bin Al Hussein, to Algeria, on December 3 and 4, culminated in a joint Algerian-Jordanian declaration, the full text of which is:
“Based on the fraternal and historical relations between the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and in response to the kind invitation of his brother, His Excellency President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the sovereign of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, His Majesty King Abdullah II Bin Al Hussein, paid a two day state visit to Algeria on 03 and 04 December 2022”.
The two leaders held bilateral discussions, which were later extended to the members of the two delegations.
The discussions were dominated by a spirit of friendship and brotherhood that reflects the depth of the close and historical relations between the two sister countries, aspects of bilateral cooperation between the two countries in all fields were examined, in addition to ways and means to enhance them in order to achieve the common interests of the two brotherly peoples.
The two leaders also discussed ways to enhance joint Arab action to face up to common challenges and serve Arab causes. In this context, His Majesty King Abdullah II congratulated his brother, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, on the success of the 31st session of the Arab Summit, which Algeria hosted on the first and second of November 2022. His Majesty praised the important outcomes issued by the summit to confront the current challenges besetting the Arab nation, in order to reunite it, preserve its interests and serve its causes, foremost of which is the Palestinian cause which is considered the first central issue, in addition to activating joint Arab action, strengthening efforts to address regional crises, and increasing joint cooperation, in order to achieve security, stability and prosperity in the region.
The two leaders stressed the centrality of the Palestinian cause, and the importance of reaching a just solution that would meet all the legitimate rights of the brotherly Palestinian people, on the basis of the two-state solution, which establishes the independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and in accordance with the relevant resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative being the only way to achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting peace.
The two leaders underlined the importance of achieving Palestinian unity and ending division. His Majesty King Abdullah II praised the efforts made by the President of the Republic to bridge the gap and achieve Palestinian unity.
The two leaders stressed the need to preserve the historical and legal status of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. His Excellency the President of the Republic stressed the importance of the role of the historical Hashemite Custodianship over the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, in protecting the holy sites and their Arab, Islamic and Christian identity, and the role of the Jerusalem Endowments Department and the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs of the Jordanian Ministry of Endowments, Islamic Affairs and Holy Sites, as the authority entitled to manage the affairs of the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque / Al-Quds Al-Sharif which entirely constitutes a pure place of worship for Muslims.
The two leaders also discussed a number of issues and developments on the regional and international arenas. They stressed the importance of strengthening the process of economic cooperation and integration among Arab countries, and emphasized the importance of cooperation and coordination between Algeria and Jordan in regional and international organizations and forums, in a way that serves their interests, and contributes to serving Arab issues and pillars of security, peace and stability in the region and in the world, while highlighting the prominent and constructive role that the two countries play in this regard.
The two leaders reviewed the issues raised in the Arab arena, as they stressed the importance of preserving Arab national security in light of the serious circumstances and challenges facing the region, and stressed the rejection of external interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries and the resolution of disputes through dialogue and consensus. They agreed on the importance of supporting the frameworks and mechanisms of joint Arab action and strengthening Arab capabilities to raise the challenges posed in a way that preserves Arab interests, security and stability.
The two leaders specifically stressed the importance of intensifying Arab and international efforts and coordinating efforts to reach political solutions to the crises in Syria, Libya and Yemen in a way that preserves the unity, sovereignty and interests of these sister countries and achieves the aspirations of their peoples. They also stressed the importance of continuing collective action to confront the threat of terrorism and extremism.
On the level of bilateral cooperation, the two leaders praised the cooperation achieved in the pharmaceutical industry and the successful experience of cooperation between Algerian and Jordanian factories in this field. They discussed ways and means to increase trade exchange between the two countries, and instructed officials in both countries to take steps to encourage investors and businessmen to explore available opportunities and possibilities in the economic, investment and trade fields, and to sign agreements in this sense They also stressed the importance of expanding joint cooperation to include other sectors, including health care, energy, medical tourism, hotel, transport, aviation training, culture, higher education, and cultural exchange between universities and other sectors, with the aim of achieving joint and solidarity development in a way that achieves the growth and well-being of the two sister countries and brotherly peoples.
The President of the Republic and his brother, His Majesty King Abdullah II, also instructed officials in the two countries to start preparing for the next session of the Joint Higher Committee to be held next year.
At the international level, the two leaders stressed the need to establish international relations based on the United Nations Charter and established principles, foremost of which is the establishment of international relations based on respect for the sovereignty of states and the preservation of their security and stability.
The two leaders pointed out the importance of joint cooperation between the Arab League and the African Union, promoting cooperation between the two groups, and laying the foundations for solidarity between them in a way that guarantees the interests of the Arab and African peoples.
They also stressed the importance of supporting efforts to achieve stability in the Sahel region, in light of the current security situation prevailing in the region, in a way that prevents the expansion of terrorist and extremist activities in this region.
In order to consolidate brotherly relations and develop cooperation between the two sister countries, the two sides signed, during the visit, five new agreements and memoranda of understanding that would strengthen the legal framework for bilateral cooperation, and add other building blocks in building and expanding the distinguished bilateral relations in order to achieve the hopes and aspirations of the two brotherly peoples.
These agreements include a memorandum of understanding on political consultations between the ministries of foreign affairs of the two countries, a visa abolition agreement for holders of diplomatic passports, a memorandum of understanding for cooperation between the diplomatic institutes of the two countries, a memorandum of understanding for mutual recognition of eligibility certificates for seafarers, education curricula and levels of maritime training, in addition to a joint program for cooperation between the Algerian News Agency (APS) and its Jordanian counterpart.
At the end of the visit, His Majesty King Abdullah II Bin Al Hussein expressed his deep thanks and appreciation to his brother, the President of the Republic, Mmr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, for the warm welcome and hospitality he and his accompanying delegation enjoyed in Algeria, and invited his brother, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, to visit the Kingdom. The President welcomed the kind invitation, the date of which will be determined later through diplomatic channels.
