The Trilateral Summit between Cyprus, Greece and Jordan could serve as a model for cooperation in the region, says Mohamad El-Fayez, the Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to Cyprus.
In an interview with Cyprus News Agency ahead of the first Trilateral Summit, this Tuesday in Nicosia, the Ambassador points to the good understanding that exists between King Abdullah II of Jordan, President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades and Greek Premier Alexis Tsipras on many issues, and notes that Amman maintains good relations with both countries for over half a century.
He also says that King Abdullah will arrive in the Cypriot capital accompanied by high-ranking officials, including Prime Minister Hani Mulki and several Ministers of his Cabinet.
In the margins of the Summit, Cyprus and Jordan will sign four agreements in education, health, agriculture and energy. Moreover, all three countries are expected to sign three trilateral Memorandums of Understanding, in maritime affairs and antiquities, among others.
According to El-Fayez, these agreements are in the final stages, with the respective delegations working out the technical details. If all goes well, they will be signed on Tuesday by the authorized Jordanian Ministers and their counterparts, he notes.
The Ambassador says, however, that more agreements are in the pipeline, as Amman seeks “a comprehensive bilateral and trilateral relationship” with Cyprus and Greece.
Asked about the bilateral agreement on energy, he says that this is a fairly new sector and both countries are exploring the potential for cooperation.
Political relations between all three countries are excellent, he goes on and prioritizes economic cooperation, which may in turn lead to more stability in the region.
“Economy is the most important issue. Political relations are already there and they are excellent” El-Fayez notes.
He says that in order to bring relations in line with the ambitions of the people and of the leaders, we need to establish a good connection in all fields of the economy. This is why we are focusing on this area, he says, adding that economic ties are the best way to promote stability and security.
Jordan’s position over Cyprus “solid”
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Speaking to CNA, Ambassador El-Fayez remarks that his country maintains a steady foreign policy for the last 70 years. In relation to the Cyprus issue, he says that Amman’s position is “very solid and clear”. “We are always committed to Security Council resolutions concerning many issues in the world”, Cyprus being one of them, he says.
“We support strongly the position of Cyprus to implement the Security Council resolutions and are in favor of the reunification of Cyprus” that will allow people to live peacefully, as they did in the past, he adds.
When it comes to Amman’s relations with Brussels, EL-Fayez expresses appreciation over the role of Nicosia in conveying Jordan’s point of view to fellow EU members states. He remembers the words of President Anastasiades, who said in several occasions that Jordan should consider Cyprus its Ambassador to the EU.
“We always need the support of our friends in the EU and Cyprus and Greece are among them” he underlines.
The Ambassador also notes that support from the international community is crucial in tackling some of the pressing problems in the region, such as terrorism and radicalization. In this respect, he says, Jordan shares a common vision with Cyprus and Greece, advocating international involvement for such complicated issues.
A lot was done in the past year
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The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Republic of Cyprus established bilateral relations in 1962 and Amman opened its Embassy in Cyprus in late 2016. El-Fayez notes that as of late, relations have enhanced dramatically between Cyprus and Jordan.
Following the official visit of President Anastasiades to Amman, two years ago, Jordan decided to establish an Embassy in Cyprus, in order “to show that we are very serious about enhancing our relations”, the Ambassador underlines. He recounts the assistance provided by the President and his Ministers ever since, noting that “everyone is very helpful, this is why we managed to do a lot of work within a year”.
He notes that most of the work so far concentrated in preparing the ground for political relations and to help the business community cooperate more closely, he concedes however that more needs to be done in enhancing people-to-people contacts “which are no less important”.
Concerning business ties, the Ambassador says that one of the first tasks after assuming his post was to work for the establishment of a Jordan-Cyprus Business Association. “We managed to do this early last year” with half the members coming from Jordan and half from Cyprus, he says.
Business people from both sides had their first meeting in Amman last May, and are set to meet again in Nicosia.
The Ambassador remarks that bilateral trade is still not up to the expectations, he notes however that there is potential.
Currently, he says, both sides are working for the organization of a cultural week in each country, a “Cypriot week” in Jordan and a “Jordanian week” in Cyprus, in order to promote tourism and let the public know what each country has to offer.
He also notes that a second direct flight connection between Larnaca and Amman has been approved but did not materialize yet, with the Ambassador expressing hope that once established, competition will help lower the fares and increase tourism.
He says finally that the two countries, as well as Greece, can work together in attracting tourist groups from places such as South America or Asia, offering joint trips to Jordan, Cyprus and Greece. The idea for package deals is currently on the table and will hopefully be put into action soon, the Ambassador concludes.