His Majesty King Abdullah and King Felipe VI of Spain co-chaired a new round of Aqaba Process meetings in Cordoba, organized in partnership with Spain.
As the second High-Level Aqaba Process meeting to convene with a focus on West Africa and the Sahel, this round covered the latest developments in that region, and included an assessment of the threats of terrorism and extremism.
Discussions covered current efforts to counter terrorism and means of enhancing coordination and networking among various initiatives in West Africa to fight terrorist groups on the ground, in addition to online by countering hate speech on social media, PETRA reported.
Speakers also reiterated the need to cooperate, exchange expertise, and expand partnerships to include more countries and relevant international organizations within the Aqaba Process.
This round of meetings saw the participation of heads of state, officials, and representatives of security and military institutions from Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Morocco, Rwanda, Niger, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Nigeria, Benin, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Portugal, the United States, Switzerland, Norway, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, as well as representatives of the African Union, the European Union, NATO, the United Nations, and the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism.
The Aqaba Process initiative was launched by His Majesty King Abdullah II in 2015 to enhance coordination and exchange of expertise and information among regional and international stakeholders to counter terrorism and extremism.
Source: Bahrain News Agency