A tripartite summit will be held in Baghdad on Sunday, gathering Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Jordanian King Abdullah II, and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, emphasizing a mutual desire to inaugurate a new phase of relations and frameworks for joint cooperation. According to politicians, the "New Levant" project, a common initiative between the three countries, is expected to be a prominent agenda item, including collaboration in economic and investment fields. Al-Kadhimi first mentioned the term "New Levant" during his visit to the United States last August, stating to the Washington Post that he intends to embark on a strategic project titled thus, clarifying that it is an economic project in the European style, connecting Cairo with Baghdad and later joined by Amman to form a regional bloc capable of facing challenges.
The summit, which will take place on Sunday, has been postponed multiple times due to internal circumstances, initially in Egypt and then in Jordan. Over the past two days, Baghdad has experienced intensive security measures, including the deployment of military vehicles on public roads, coinciding with the summit, which follows two previous summits in Cairo, Egypt, and the Dead Sea in Jordan. Iraqi authorities have taken security measures on roads surrounding the leaders' motorcades via Baghdad International Airport and at locations where meetings will be held.
In late March, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi announced the postponement of the tripartite summit between Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt, which was scheduled for March 27 in Baghdad, due to a train collision incident in Sohag, southern Egypt, and subsequently postponed again due to the repercussions of the sedition case in Jordan.
According to the Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ambassador Hossam Zaki, this summit will deepen and solidify the relationship between the three countries (Iraq, Egypt, Jordan), indicating that the Arab League views the tripartite cooperation positively. He added that the summit today in Baghdad will elevate the interests of the Arab peoples and enhance harmony, consensus, and coordination in Arab economic and political interests. He emphasized that collective Arab action is encouraged by the Arab League and is seen positively, benefiting the organization as a whole.
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan affirmed that the Baghdad tripartite summit represents an important step towards uniting the efforts of the three countries in various fields, particularly in economic and political matters. Meanwhile, Egyptian presidential spokesperson Bassam Radi stated that President Sisi's participation in the Baghdad summit comes as part of building on past achievements during the three previous summits and assessing the development in various areas of cooperation, alongside supporting and deepening the distinguished historical relations between the three brotherly nations, as well as enhancing political consultations among them regarding ways to confront the challenges facing the Arab homeland and the Middle East region. Radi added that Sisi will hold a meeting with the Jordanian king to discuss enhancing bilateral relations at all levels within the framework of the close and brotherly ties between Egypt and Jordan and both countries' commitment to strengthening their cooperation and ongoing consultations on issues of mutual interest.
