Jordan Times
Sunday, February 17, 2008
King, Mubarak discuss ties, region
AMMAN (JT) - His Majesty King Abdullah and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Saturday discussed bilateral ties, mainly Jordan’s imports of Egyptian gas and the issue of registering and pricing Jordan’s pharmaceutical products in the Egyptian market.
A Royal Court statement said that regional developments in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq were also on the agenda of the summit meeting, which was held in Sharm El Sheikh.
The King arrived back home after the talks, which continued over a lunch banquet.
King Abdullah and President Mubarak expressed keenness to take bilateral ties to the next level, the statement said, adding that the meeting came within the context of consultations over bilateral issues.
Jordan and Egypt were discussing late last year a new gas deal and a “competitive and satisfactory” pricing scale.
The deal was to include supplying Jordan with additional 550 million cubic metres of gas a year for industries and the electricity sector.
The news came amid reports, which both sides rejected as baseless, that the Egyptian gas flow to Jordan was suspended after the supplier reneged on the pricing agreement.
Officials said the original agreement stipulated that the price of gas Jordan imports from Egypt would remain without any hike till 2018. But the Egyptian side was said to have interpreted the deal as stipulating that the fixed price is limited to government imports, while those ordered by the private sector remain subject to market changes.
An Egyptian gas pipeline passes through Jordan to other regional partners under a multi-party agreement that also includes Syria and Lebanon.
Jordan was relying on the relatively inexpensive Egyptian gas as a substitute for fuel after international oil prices soared to unprecedented levels and the government floated fuel prices this year.
The pharmaceutical sector is Jordan’s third largest exporting sector, as 80 per cent of its production is exported at present to over 60 countries, including Egypt. But these products have faced obstacles that the two sides have been working to remove, especially with regard to registration and pricing.
The King and Mubarak reviewed in their meeting yesterday the latest political developments on the regional and international levels, with focus on the situation in the Palestinian territories, the Middle East peace process and developments in Lebanon.
They stressed the need to make use of opportunities available to move the peace process forward and achieve a just and comprehensive solution, on the basis of international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
The two leaders also expressed support for the efforts exerted by the Palestinian Authority (PA) under the leadership of President Mahmoud Abbas to build the Palestinian institutions until an independent Palestinian state is established in the West Bank and Gaza strip.
They also reiterated backing for the PA’s efforts in its negotiations with Israel to arrive at a just settlement covering all final status issues, including Jerusalem, refugees, water and borders.
The King and Mubarak called on Israel to end its violations and killing of innocent civilians.
Addressing the latest developments in Lebanon, the two leaders urged the feuding political parties to reach a consensus on the question of presidential election, emphasising the importance of adopting the Arab League initiative to end the political impasse.
On the situation in Iraq, the two leaders stressed their support for the efforts exerted to achieve national reconciliation to preserve the sovereignty and unity of Iraq.
During the meeting, King Abdullah also congratulated the Egyptian President on Egypt winning the African Cup of Nations.
The talks were attended by Prime Minister Nader Dahabi, Royal Court Chief Bassem Awadallah, Intelligence Department Director Lt. General Mohammad Dahabi and Jordan’s Ambassador to Cairo Omar Rifai.