Chairman of the Jordanian Joint Chiefs of Staff, Major General Yousef Ahmed Huneiti, met on Sunday with Lebanese Minister of National Defense Michel Mansi and Lebanon’s Intelligence Chief.
Discussions focused on military cooperation, coordination, and the exchange of expertise between the two countries, as well as ways to strengthen bilateral relations in support of their Armed Forces.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Syria and Neighboring Countries Conference, hosted by Jordan to explore practical mechanisms for counter-terrorism efforts, combating drug and arms smuggling, and addressing shared regional challenges, Petra news agency reported.
Foreign and Defense Ministers, Army Chiefs of Staff, and Intelligence Chiefs from Jordan, Türkiye, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon met in Amman on Sunday to discuss support for Syria’s reconstruction and stability.
The meeting focused on ways to help the Syrian people rebuild their country while preserving Syria’s unity, sovereignty, security, and stability. Participants also discussed combating terrorism and facilitating the safe, voluntary, and sustainable return of Syrian refugees while ensuring the rights of all Syrians.
Participants agreed on the following points:
- Supporting the Syrian people in their efforts to rebuild their country while safeguarding Syria’s security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity and ensuring the rights and safety of all its citizens.
- Recognizing Syria’s security and stability as essential to regional stability and condemning any attempts or groups seeking to undermine Syria’s security, sovereignty, and peace.
- Condemning Israeli attacks on Syrian territory and rejecting any Israeli interference in Syrian affairs as a blatant violation of international law and Syrian sovereignty. Participants urged the international community and the UN Security Council to take action to halt Israeli aggression, ensure Israel's withdrawal from occupied Syrian territories, and uphold the 1974 disengagement agreement between Syria and Israel.
- Welcoming the outcomes of the Syrian National Dialogue Conference and encouraging Syrian stakeholders to swiftly issue the constitutional declaration announced at the conference.
- Condemning terrorism in all forms and strengthening cooperation in military, security, and ideological counterterrorism efforts. Participants agreed to launch a joint operations center to coordinate efforts against ISIS and support regional and international initiatives aimed at eliminating the group and addressing the issue of ISIS detainees.
- Enhancing cooperation to combat drug and arms smuggling and transnational organized crime, while providing Syria with support to bolster its capabilities in this regard.
- Supporting Syria’s reconstruction efforts and mobilizing international aid for early recovery projects. Participants emphasized the need to remove obstacles hindering rebuilding efforts.
- Calling for the lifting of sanctions on Syria to enable its reconstruction and meet the needs of its people.
- Strengthening economic, trade, and investment cooperation, including infrastructure development in energy and transportation, to boost regional economic growth.
- Working with regional and international partners, including UN agencies, to create the necessary security, living, and political conditions for the safe and sustainable return of Syrian refugees. Participants also stressed the importance of continued international support for host countries until refugee repatriation is complete.
Holding a second round of meetings in Turkey next month to build on the discussions and finalize necessary decisions.
