Egypt’s Mansour Discusses Trade, Syria With Jordan’s Abdullah

Egyptian interim President Adly Mansour discussed Syria, Palestine and economic ties with Jordan’s King Abdullah II during a visit to Amman on Tuesday, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.

“The meeting discussed common affairs, such as trade between Egypt and Jordan,” said Khaled Tharwat, Egypt’s ambassador to Jordan.

King Abdullah said the level of trade between the two countries was too low, Tharwat added.

The talks also tackled how to end the Syrian civil war, how to ensure the will of the Syrian people is fulfilled, and how to support the Geneva 2 peace conference.

The Arab leaders also spoke of natural gas exports from Egypt to Jordan, which have been halted by militant attacks on pipelines.

Tharwat said the pipelines were being mended and the flow of gas to Jordan would resume shortly.

Following the ouster of president Hosni Mubarak in 2011, natural gas pipelines that pass through ‎the Sinai Peninsula to Israel and Jordan have been attacked dozens of times by suspected Islamist militants. The attackers are believed to be opposed to the export of natural gas to Israel.

Jordan’s ambassador to Egypt Bishr Al-Khasawneh said Mansour’s visit reflected the “deepness of ties between the two countries, especially because it is one of Mansour’s first foreign visits since he was sworn in.”

Al-Khasawneh added that Egypt’s period of Muslim Brotherhood rule had not affected the countries’ strategic relationship, describing it as a “passing disturbance.”

Mansour arrived in Jordan on Tuesday, following his first visit as president to Saudi Arabia.

The governments of Saudi Arabia and Jordan are staunch opponents of the Muslim Brotherhood and have strongly backed Egypt’s ouster of Mohamed Morsi on 3 July.

Source : Ahram